A Call Beyond
by Amygdala40
Summary: When Louise initially fails the Summoning Ritual she tries again, pleading internally for something, anything to answer her call. Her heartfelt plea reaches far out, even to the outer reaches of the Cosmos where the Great Ones reside. And the Great Ones are sympathetic in spirit…
1. Time for Encounter

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter One: Time for Encounter**

"I, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar."

The girl spoke the incantation in a manner suitably dramatic for the occasion but with perhaps a little more wand motion than strictly necessary.

 _This is it._ Louise thought to herself as she stared expectantly at the rune-filled pentagram on the ground before her. _This is the day that I prove that I am a true mage of Tristain_.

However, despite her words and increasingly hard stare at the pentagram, nothing appeared to be happening. A voice rang out behind her.

"What's the matter, Louise the Zero, did you fail again? Just as expected!"

Louise was about to turn back and give the speaker a taste of her mind but instead bit back her words and directed a meaningful look at the teacher, Professor Colbert, overseeing the ritual. The elderly man cleared his throat and spoke with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Please quite down, Miss Von Zerbst. The Familiar Summoning Ritual is a sacred ritual dating back to the Founder Brimir himself and requires the utmost concentration." He continued in his more usual, calm manner. "Miss Vallière, it is not unusual to not succeed the summoning spell on the first try. Please focus and try again."

 _Ha, that'll teach you to interrupt me Zerbst_. Louise took a deep breath and focused on the pentagram before her again. _This time, it'll work for sure._

And so, she chanted the incantation again with practiced intonation but to little avail, as once again, nothing appeared to happen. Usually, when her spells failed, that is, every time she cast a spell, the result was quite explosive and whoever dared to laugh at her would quickly be coughing up soot. Yet now, there was no reaction whatsoever.

 _No matter._ Louise thought. _It is probably not unusual to not succeed the spell the second try either._ Sure, all her classmates had gotten their familiars on their first attempt of the summoning spell, but they were just the odd ones out. In fact, her classmate Tabitha had managed to summon a _dragon_. That had to be unusual. _Calm down, focus, and get it right this time!_ She spoke to herself with conviction. Louis began the incantation for a third time.

The world did not appear moved by her conviction and once more nothing happened. Snickers broke out behind her. Distraught, Louise looked to the elderly Professor once more and tried, but failed, to speak with an even voice.

"S-sir, I think I made a mistake with the runes. Can I check them one more time?"

Colbert looked back at her with kind eyes. "Of course, miss Vallière. The runes have to be written down exactly like in the ritual manual or the spell won't work."

Louise nodded and knelt down to examine the runes interwoven in the pentagram on the ground before her. They were perfect, of course. She had written them down at least a hundred times during her preparations for this day. Preparations that were all for naught it seemed. Surely, Professor Colbert had seen that the runes were faultless as well or he would have stepped in earlier. He was simply giving her a last attempt out of pity. Louise almost snorted. A Vallière being pitied? Her mother would kill her. Deciding that there was no point in mucking about on the ground needlessly, Louise stood back up, straightened her skirt and faced the pentagram for the fourth time. She spoke no words and made no wand motions. Instead she clasped her hand together in silent prayer.

 _Is there anything, anyone out there who can hear these words? Please help me, I beg of you._

Louise stood there for a while, looking the sky before facing reality and the pentagram entirely bereft of a familiar of any sort. She heaved a great sigh of resignation. Her classmates jeered at her again, but Louise tuned them out effortlessly. Professor Colbert placed a hand on her shoulder and probably said something reassuring, but Louise didn't hear what he was saying. No, Louise _couldn't_ hear what he was saying. There was a sound in her head. Subtle yet pervasive, it blocked out all other sounds.

As if reeling back upon being noticed, the noise grew in volume. Louise clasped her hands to her ears but to no avail. It was as if the noise was coming from inside her head. Louise had no words to describe what she was hearing, it was a somehow sticky sound but inspired in her a primal sort of fear. A fear born from man's insignificance in front of a raging sea.

Upon this realization, Louise's sight wavered for a moment before she caught a glimpse of symbol. Yet this mere glimpse was enough for its visage to forever be burned into her brain: Numerous paths or streams of varying lengths flowed parallel to one another. Each of a different kind, of a different origin. Yet no matter the stream, in the end they all converged as one, going down. So deep down.

Louise did not stop screaming until consciousness left her.

.

.

.

 **(***)**

 **And so it begins. I won't have an author's note every chapter but I thought I would clear up a few things regarding the story.**

 **First off, the symbol Louise envisioned is the Caryll Rune of "Great Deep Sea" which is also the story cover image.**

 **Secondly, while this is partly a Bloodborne story, there will be no beasts and no hunters. Only the cosmic horror aspect of Bloodborne will be incorporated.  
**

 **Thirdly, you do _not_ need to be familiar with Bloodborne lore to read this story. It will be told mainly from the point of Louise, who also has no idea what just happened. **

**Finally, this is my first time writing fiction, so any and all criticism is appreciated!**


	2. You Must Accept Yourself

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Two: You Must Accept Yourself**

Louise dreamt of water. In fact, she found herself floating upon a veritable ocean. Around her, the water stretched seemingly endlessly and Louise felt, with a certainty only afforded to those in the world of dreams, that there was no end to the depths of water below her. Louise looked above, gazing lazily at the featureless gray sky, the sun hidden behind an infinite expanse of clouds.

There she was, all alone, floating upon an ocean of never-ending depth her only companion the gentle sound of the waves brushing beneath her. She should be frightened, indeed terrified, but Louise felt completely at ease for some reason. Trying to rationalize this for the want of anything else to do, Louise observed that the water had the perfect temperature. Even only partially submerged, she felt neither hot nor cold only comfortable. The gray sky held no interesting sights but not any distractions either and the sounds of waves was like calming music to her ears. Furthermore, Louise discovered that it took no effort at all to continue floating as she was. The smooth waters below simply did not let her sink. It was akin to lying on a bed, Louise thought idly. A giant, liquid bed.

 _It's probably mostly that_ , Louise thought. Floating upon the ocean as she did, Louise felt _small_. What were her fears, her worries in front of the endless sea around her? All of Tristain, no, all of Halkeginia would amount to a mere pebble when thrown into this sea. It would cause a disturbance to be sure, but a minor one: Circular waves gradually fading away, centered on an object sinking into the depths to be forgotten forever. In front of this, what weight could the concerns of a single individual possibly hold?

Louise chuckled softly to herself. Upon hearing her own voice, the only sound beside the waves, Louise laughed a little louder and a little harder until she was cackling with all her might. Eventually she stopped laughing and the sound of her laughter, too, returned to nothing, the sea accepting it all. Louise lay on the sea with a smile of her face. As she continued to float, looking up at the sky, she started feeling contemplative.

Her last memories were of her failing the Familiar Summoning Ritual. In front of her entire class, no less. She couldn't remember when she went to sleep, but she must have at some point since she was obviously dreaming now. The memory of her failing her summoning spell inspired a bitter feeling in Louise and she frowned involuntarily. But that feeling too, quickly flowed away from her and disappeared into the depths. Her face returning to a neutral expression, Louise decided that there was not much worth in thinking of the past and decided to instead think of what she should do next.

Having failed to summon a familiar or display any magic talent whatsoever, she would be booted out of the academy for sure. Oh, they would probably be nice about it, but when it came down to it, a failure like her didn't belong together with the other students. A failure, a Zero, the words that once hurt her so now rang empty in her ears. _Or rather_ , she considered, they rang _true_. She really was a Zero – in front if this boundless ocean, no one person could amount to more than a Zero. The thought amused her greatly and she started chuckling to herself again. _With magic out of the picture, I guess I'll have to focus on marital skills_ she thought after calming down. Thinking on it, it wasn't that bad of an idea. Her dear elder sister Cattleya was too sickly for marriage and her eldest sister Éléonore was most likely too engrossed in her research to care about marriage. _And that is if she can even find someone_ Louise thought. Éléonore's wits were sharp but she had a tongue to match and, while that had won her respect among her fellow researchers, it had almost warded off potential suitors. _Someone has to continue the Vallière line and it might as well be me._ Louise's thoughts next turned to her fiancé, a Viscount Wardes. It had been a long time since she had met or even seen him, but she remembered him as a kind, upstanding gentleman. Still, Louise let out a melancholic sigh, letting the feeling wash over her for posterity.

She didn't _want_ to be a bride. Well, maybe at some point, but she didn't want to _just_ be a bride. She had always wanted to be a powerful mage like her mother and help fight against monsters and Germanians and elves and whatever else could threaten Tristain. Thinking on it now, it was all a little childish but the sentiment stood: Magic has been all she wanted to do and now she had failed. Who was to say she would not also fail in marriage? Louise didn't consider herself to be unattractive in the slightest, but she had to admit that she was, _underdeveloped_ in certain areas that men liked. Especially if she compared herself to someone like Kirche von Zerbst. Then there was her personality. Thinking back on how she usually carried herself, Louise realized that, just like her eldest sister Éléonore, her normal behavior fell somewhere to the side of the so called feminine ideal. Louise let out another sigh.

Would the rest of life be one of pretending to be meek and deferential? No, she refused to live her life like that. She was a proud noble of the Vallière line and would carry herself as such, no if or buts. Besides, she doubted she could keep such an act up for long, even if she tried. The more Louise thought about it, the more she realized that just staying in this dream seemed ideal. Here, she was safe from the outside world, nothing could hurt her. And she would have no expectation put on her or responsibilities to carry out. Still, staying here was going to be a little lonely, but that's only if she just decided to lie around and think herself into insanity. Louise wished for a moment that she could just sink towards the bottom and be forgotten.

The thought had barely left her mind before Louise stopped floating and began sinking down. _Eventually, everything will return to the sea_. _I'm just getting a head start, is all_. Louise let out another laugh at that thought. Surprisingly, the laughter rang out clearly, even though she was entirely submerged, no, _enveloped_ by the water. She didn't need to breathe either. _But of course, it is this sea after all. Willing to accept even someone like me_. Louise continued to sink, smiling all the while. Her merriment was short lived, however, as a noise in her head broke her out of her reverie.

Louise stopped sinking for a moment and instead looked around her. She couldn't see anything, not at all aided by the fact that most the light from above had disappeared at this depth. Still, she felt no fear. Surely, if some other being inhabited this sea, it meant her no harm. Instead she focused on the sound. The low rumble in her head did not resemble spoken words of any language Louise could conceive of, yet it invoked in her certain images. A push. A gentle reproach. Perhaps a consoling pat on the head? Whatever the interpretation, it got Louise to stop and think again. _What am I doing? Didn't I just decide to live my life like the Vallière that I am? Melancholy is an insidious thing, indeed. You can be forgotten instead!_ Ridding herself of her defeatism, Louise willed herself to begin floating upwards. As if replacing the void left behind by her departed feelings of melancholy, determination welled up inside her. _I'm not giving up. So what I failed the summoning ritual? So what if I have failed every spell I've tried to cast so far? I will simply try again, as many times as it takes!_ Louise grinned, filled with newfound determination. Around her the waters responded to her change in attitude. The waters above her parted before her and the waters below began to rise, aiding her ascent. Louise laughed once more. Of course! This sea, this dream, it was all a sign. How could she have been so blind? The water below her propelled her upwards with great force. As she rose above the surface in a great geyser of water, Louise shouted her revelation to the sea:

"I must be a water mage!"


	3. It's all thanks to Superior Being

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Three: It's all thanks to Superior Being**

It had been a week since the Familiar Summoning Ritual where Louise had suddenly started screaming before collapsing. She had been hurried to the sick room where she had lain comatose ever since. Numerous water mages had had a look at her and concluded that she was physically healthy and that she collapsed most likely due to extreme stress. They were adamant that she was not to be disturbed and that she would wake by herself eventually. Headmaster Osmond had not been too happy about this but accepted it the end.

He was sitting in his office at this moment contemplating how to deal with this affair. He would need to inform the Duke and Duchess de La Vallière of the state of their daughter's health at some point. And it would have to be well before whatever exaggerated rumors flying around the academy reached outside. It was the responsible thing to do and yet Osmond had not done so until now, instead hoping that the young Miss Vallière would simply wake by herself as the water mages had suggested. That would at least remove one problem from his back. But it was more than just that, Osmond thought as he leaned back in his chair. He felt that he had failed in his task as headmaster, to actually allow a student to collapse from stress like that. One of her teachers should have notified him earlier or simply stepped in themselves. No, he could not rightly place the blame on them. He, too, had been aware of the young Miss Vallière's troubles with spellcasting, but seeing her excellent results in all things theoretical, had considered it a quirk that would work itself out with time. Evidently, this was not the case. Osmond let out a small sigh. Miss Vallière had failed the Familiar Summoning Ritual, a requirement for second years. So when she woke, he would be forced to expel her from the academy. In the gentlest possible manner, of course. Still, it was not a conversation he was looking forward to have.

"Tell me, Miss Loungeville, am I getting old?"

He addressed his secretary who had dutifully been doing paperwork on her desk while he was lost in thought. The bespectacled, green haired woman gave him a dubious look. As far as she was concerned, the fact that Osmond was still alive could be considered nothing short of a miracle. In lieu of answering, she loudly stomped her right foot. Osmond winced internally, but let nothing show on his face. That had been too close to his mouse familiar, who had tried to take advantage of the secretary's distraction and take a peek up her skirt. No matter, he thought. She would let her guard down eventually. Old Osmond was content to play the long game.

Soon after, with intuition born from experience, Miss Loungeville excused herself claiming that she had to speak with Professor Colbert about something. This was fine too, Osmond considered as she closed the door behind her. Now he would have time to search the room and find where she had hidden his cigars.

(***)

Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Kirche von Zerbst was feeling a little down, somewhat worried and perhaps slightly guilty? It had been an entire week since Louise had collapsed after all. At first, rumors of what happened had circulated wildly in the academy. Some had claimed that the infamous Zero had pretended to faint for sympathy and attention, some had claimed that her magic had abandoned her and some of the more outrageous rumors held that she had died on the spot. For those who cared to listen, Kirche included, the school water mages had simply stated that she fainted from stress and would sleep it off. However, it had been an entire week now. There was "sleeping it off" and then there was "laying comatose" and at this point, Louise's condition was clearly closer to the latter. Kirche absentmindedly drummed her fingers on the table in front of her at the library she sat in. She was supposed to read something or other regarding general Halkeginian history, but had quickly given up on that, partly due to her current concerns.

"…worried?"

A quiet voice rang out beside her. It belonged to her friend Tabitha who sat in a chair opposite the table from Kirche, reading a book that was probably related to their assignment. For a girl whose attention would be mostly taken by a book at any given time, she could be quite perceptive when she wanted to.

"Yeah, I'm a bit worried about Louise." Kirche admitted. "It's been a week, you know".

Tabitha uncharacteristically closed her book and instead looked directly at her friend.

"Not your fault." she stated in a consoling tone, or at least Kirche thought it was supposed to be a consoling tone. It was just a slightly bit softer than Tabitha's normal monotone pitch.

"I know, I know, Louise failed the summoning ritual all by herself." Kirche agreed with Tabitha. It was perhaps a bit harsh to say it out loud like this but it was nevertheless the truth.

"It's just, you know, they said she collapsed due to stress. I think I may have been a contributing factor to that." Kirche finally let out what had really been bothering her.

"…regret?" Tabitha asked after thinking for a while.

After a moment of consideration, Kirche shook her head. "Not really. I mean, it had gotten a little out of hand towards the end, but mostly it's just been harmless fun. It's just how I connect to people sometimes, you know." Kirche started smiling, a memory resurfacing. "Just think of how _we_ got to know each other."

Kirche fondly recalled how the two of them were initially at odds against one another. It had turned out to all be a ploy by some of the other students, and so the two came to an understanding, banded together and beat up all those responsible, side by side. This "understanding" had then later blossomed into the closest friendship Kirche had ever enjoyed. Kirche looked back at Tabitha only to find that the small girl had gone back to reading her book. Yet Kirche couldn't help but notice the slight contortions of her cheek bones, indicating that he girl was smiling softly to herself, most likely recalling the same memory.

"It was different with Louise, though." Kirche continued. "You know the rivalry between our families, right? We were more or less destined to be enemies from the start. Roles we fell into quite readily, I might add."

Louse had been hostile towards her from the moment she learned her family name was "Zerbst". Not wanting to back down, Kirche had responded in kind. It turned to full on shouting match, with the two of them trading barbs until a teacher had heard the commotion and broken them up. Neither had been satisfied with that, and so they made it a habit to casually throw insults at each other during most of their interactions during the entire first year. Kirche had found it to be liberating in a way, truth be told. Moving to the academy from Germania, she had found most noblewomen of Tristain to be woefully uptight, obsessed with maintaining "proper decorum", whatever that meant. Louise hadn't been afraid to get into the metaphorical mud with her and Kirche might even have lured her into a literal mud fight, had Tabitha not dissuaded her of that particular plan. It was also Kirche who came up with the nickname "Louise the Zero", using the girl's apparent inability to cast spells properly as a new avenue of attack. It had, however, quickly caught on among the rest of the class who were disgruntled with the constant explosions and associated cleanup. Looking back on it like that, at some point it had turned into full on bullying that had seemingly culminated in Louise falling into a coma due to stress.

"I guess I regret it a little after all." Kirche said, having finished her contemplation. If Tabitha was surprised by the change in attitude, she did not show it, still appearing to be reading her book. "I suppose I just miss someone to shout at in the end." she concluded with a weak chuckle.

Thinking further on it, it really wasn't that far off. Next to Tabitha, Kirche would rank Louise as her closest female associate, which was funny in its own way. Still, that was enough for Kirche. Typically overflowing with emotions, Kirche could dump her burdens on Tabitha's shoulders, vent her frustrations on Louise and unleash her passions on eagerly waiting male students. All in all, it was a pretty good setup as far as she was concerned. But now a piece, namely Louise, was missing.

"That's why I've been feeling so down lately: I'm missing a piece of myself! What should I do, Tabitha?" Kirche almost shouted at her friend, caught up in the excitement of her conclusion.

Tabitha raised an eyebrow at the formulation, but nevertheless considered her friend's words carefully. "Go visit?" she eventually suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Kirche still spoke in a tone much closer to shouting than was necessary for a conversation between two people in a library. "You're such a great listener, Tabitha!" Kirche continued.

Tabitha nodded affirmatively, either in recognition of her own skill or just to placate the now overly excited Kirche. Kirche, however, didn't leave it at that and instead swept the much smaller girl into a crushing hug.

"I'll go visit her right now and then tell you all about how it went later, see you!"

Kirche took off from the library with great speed. She had places to be and wasn't about to be stopped by a teacher saying that class was still in session or a librarian telling at her to stop running in the library.

(***)

Kirche wasn't about to be stopped by some nurse claiming that Louise "needed rest" and "was not to be disturbed" either. What did she know! Kirche told her that she held no authority over her, Kirche being a noble and all, and simply brushed past her into the room where Louise lay. Kirche placed the chair she had brought all the way from the library with her beside the bed and sat down. She watched Louise sleep for a while. She certainly looked peaceful laying there, her face not turned up into a grimace, for once.

Well, what now? Kirche thought. Was she supposed to just watch Louise sleep? That was already getting boring, so what else? Maybe talk to her and encourage her to wake up? It seemed silly. For want of anything else to do, Kirche touched the sleeping girl's hair. She wouldn't admit it to Louise out loud, but she did think it was a rather impressive shade of pink. Kirche always did prefer this type of hair color, but she was a bit biased, having red hair herself. It was at this moment, with Kirche toying with the pinkette's hair and letting her mind drift off, that Louise returned to the Waking World.

When Louise came to, she was immediately assaulted by discomfort. The light was too bright. The bed she lay on was too uncomfortable. It was too hot. The silence was too loud. Also, something was touching her hair. Slowly turning her head to look, as soon as she lay eyes on the culprit Louise decided that all other concerns were of a secondary nature.

"Kirche, why are you playing with my hair?" She spoke in a soft voice that came out just a bit raspy.

Kirche turned to look at her, surprise evident in her expression. Rather than attempt an explanation she instead chose to state the obvious.

"You're awake!" she said in an excited and _loud_ tone. Louise noted that she did not stop touching her hair.

"Yes." she confirmed. Louise attempted to gently move her arms and pry the other girl's fingers away from her hair. This proved to be a mistake however, as Kirche apparently took it as an invitation to sweep Louise into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're awake." Kirche eventually said, ending the hug.

 _Really?_ Louise thought. "Why?" she asked in a manner not accusatory but mostly just confused.

"You've been asleep for a whole week now! Don't you remember?"

 _How would I remember how long I've been asleep for? That also doesn't answer my question and- wait a second._ "Did you just say I have been asleep for an entire week?" Louise was now thoroughly confused.

"Yes, don't you remember? After the Familiar Summoning Ritual, you suddenly started screaming and then collapsed. You've been asleep the entire time since. A whole week, now!"

Of course Louise remembered the Summoning Ritual, she had been contemplating it just moments before. But what was that about collapsing? Louise tried to recall her memory more clearly. _Ahh,_ she thought when she figured it out. _I saw a vision of the sea_. She remembered now hearing a strange in sound in her head and her vision being obscured by a symbol. Louise absentmindedly traced the symbol with the left hand. Numerous streams, all returning to the deep in the end, it was undoubtedly a visual representation of the sea in her dream. A Great Deep Sea. She simply hadn't understood it at the time. _And to think I would try to resist such a wonderful blessing_. Louise could not help but chuckle at her own foolishness.

"What's so funny?" Kirche asked, tilting her head to the side. It was now her turn to be confused.

Louise decided to employ the redhead's strategy of glossing over an explanation in favor of a non-sequitur.

"I dreamt of the sea." Louise stated with a certain devotion in her voice.

"I see" Kirche responded, not seeing at all.

"No, _sea_ " Louise said chuckling to herself again.

"Regardless, what does that mean?" Kirche tried again, tilting her head to the other side. Louise was acting weird. First off, she was _smiling_ , genuinely it seemed, and at _her_. Maybe the rumors of people undergoing personality changes while in coma were true?

"I wouldn't expect a fire-wielding barbarian such as yourself to understand its profundity, Zerbst, but it means that I'm a water mage!" Louise said proudly.

"That's more like the Louise I remember" Kirche said out loud, mostly to her own benefit. "Well, congratulations, then." she continued with a smile. She herself had had the occasional dream of raging flames – mostly when she was feeling _unsatisfied_ in some manner, and while she hadn't asked Tabitha about it she supposed the same would hold for water mages.

"Thanks." Louise responded. She felt good, no, Louise felt _great_. Ever since she had recalled her vision of the sea, she had started to feel its presence in the back of her mind. She no longer felt too hot, the bed was just a little more comfortable now and the light was no longer too bright. The last part may have more to do with her eyes adjusting to the light, though.

"Do you want to try casting a water spell?" Kirche asked, excitement slipping back into her tone.

Louise looked around for her wand. It was only now that she realized that she wasn't in her room.

"I do, but I don't have my wand on me." she said. That was a bit odd, all things considered, since she definitely had it in her hand when she supposedly collapsed.

"Oh, that's no biggie, you can just borrow mine." Kirche stated, putting her hand down her own dress and retrieving her wand from her cleavage.

 _Why do you keep it_ _ **there**_ _?_ Louise wanted to ask but quickly decided that she didn't want to know the answer. With a certain degree of hesitation, Louise took the wand offered to her. It was uncomfortably warm. Louise almost shuddered before she refocused her thought on the sea, making the sensation fade away.

"So, what should I cast?" She instead asked.

Kirche rolled her eyes. "I don't know, _you're_ the water mage here. Just conjure some water or something. It should be instinct."

Nodding, Louise focused her thoughts on the sea once again, waved around the wand a little and spoke. "Water."

Kirche looked on as Louise excitedly spoke the incantation. Nothing happened, but contrary to her expectations Louise only grew more excited as she cast the spell again and again eventually forgoing wand motions entirely.

"Water. Water. Water. Water. Water. Water. Water!"

Louise could not help herself. When she recalled her vision she had began to feel the presence of the sea, but only barely. But with each cast of her spell, she felt its presence strengthen. From just lurking in the back of her mind, she could now envision it clearly if she closed her eyes and even hear it if she focused her ears. Even in the room she found herself in, she could sense traces of water yet to be given her form. It was far from the boundless sea of her dreams, but it was a start.

"Uh, Louise, I don't think it's working." Kirche said. "Maybe try another spell?"

"What are you talking about, Kirche, it obviously worked. Just look around you!" As if to accentuate her point, Louise stood up and spread her arms wide.

Kirche looked about the decidedly normal sick room. "Are you sure? I don't see anything."

"Ahh, of course, you cannot see it. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I pity you." Louise gave Kirche a sad smile.

"What's that supposed to mean? You failed yet another spell, I should be the one pitying _you._ " Kirche crossed her arms in defiance.

As if expecting that exact response, Louise pointed Kirche's own wand directly at her and spoke final time.

"Water."

The traces of water she felt in the room were quick to obey her will and materialize in a jet, headed straight for Kirche. Without a wand, the redhead was unable to react in time and got drenched.

"See? I told you it worked". Louise kept her tone neutral as if merely stating an impartial observation, but internally she was smirking with all her might. It had been a while since she had gotten Kirche good like this.

Kirche herself took it in stride. "Yes, I see now, or is it _sea_? Well, as the bigger woman, in many ways, allow me to be the first to congratulate you in earnest. Tabitha and you are so far the only girls to ever have made me wet."

"I'm surprised you haven't angered more water mages, honestly." Louise responded casually, handing the wand to the dripping Kirche. "What, with your personality and all."

Kirche was in the middle of coming up with a retort when door burst open. It was that silly nurse from earlier. And she had apparently brought reinforcements.

"There she is, sir. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen and just ran past me!"

"Now, Miss Zerbst, I understand being concerned for a friend but Miss Vallière's rest must not be…" Headmaster Osmond's voice rang out before he trailed off. What he saw in the sickroom was a very much awake Louise and a very much drenched Kirche. "…what happened?" he tried instead.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment. "Water." they answered in unison. Seeing Osmond's apparent confusion at the scene, Kirche took it as a chance to escape and quickly made her exit.

"Well, it was fun, but I got to go now, bye!"

"Thanks for visiting." Louise called out after her. It was only polite after all. Although she never did quite find out _why_ Zerbst had decided to visit her. She would have to ask her again, later. For now it seemed that the Headmaster had regained his bearings.

Osmond turned his head to trail the girl that had just run past him but ultimately turned back to face Louise. "You're awake." he stated in a tone with a hint of relief.

Louise suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes." she answered. Now she got to have this conversation again.

Meanwhile, Kirche ran though the hallways, still dripping wet but smiling all the while. Not only had Louise awoken, she had apparently also gotten control over her magic. But more than that, she seemed a lot nicer than Kirche remembered. The only thing she felt sad about was that her last bit of innuendo had apparently gone over Louise's head. But there was still time. She would simply run by Tabitha and try the joke again. It was too god a setup to not make use of, after all. So what if a few books got wet in the process?

.

.

.

 **(***)**

 **While chapters one and two turned out short than I expected, this chapter turned out to be much longer. Such is the power of dialogue, I suppose. If you feel the characterization is way off, let me know and I can hopefully adjust.**

 **With this chapter and the next, I hope to mostly show Louise adjusting to new circumstances. Chapter five will be more in line with what some of you expected from this story, so look forward to that.**

 **On a final note, in case anyone is curious about the chapter titles: They are written in the style of player messages in Bloodborne. Often grammatically incorrect and similarly cryptic, many players, including myself, find that they have their own peculiar charm.**


	4. Ignoring is Effective

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Four: Ignoring is Effective**

"So how are you feeling, Miss Vallière?" Osmond began.

After seeing that Louise was awake, Osmond had quickly called for a water mage to take a look at her. Louise had claimed that it wasn't necessary and that she was "obviously fine", but Osmond had insisted. As it turned out, Louise was indeed perfectly healthy in the physical sense. However, it was her mental health and not her physical health that had started this entire debacle and so Osmond had told Louise to drop by his office after she had had a change of clothes and something to eat. And now here they were. Osmond noted that Louise was looking awfully cheerful, given the situation.

"Has it not already been established that I am in peak condition?" Louise replied. She understood and even appreciated the Headmaster's apparent concern for her health, but she would have thought that they would be done with this talk a long time ago.

"Yes, indeed, 'peak condition' might be the most fitting term to describe your physical condition, Miss Vallière. Quite remarkable for one who has been asleep for an entire week. But no, I am more interested in hearing about how you feel about the school as a whole, Miss Vallière. How do you feel about the coursework, and what of your classmates?"

Osmond gathered his hand on the table before him and gave Louise an imploring look. He hoped he could inspire students to confide in him. Both in the now but also the future. Prevention was better than any cure, after all. He had even sent his secretary away in order to give Louise as much privacy as possible. Miss Loungeville had complied, saying to that she was going to inspect the wards on the treasury for an upcoming security audit or some such.

Louise appeared to be carefully considering the question. _So that's what this is about_. She had heard from the nurse that the cause of her "collapse" was determined to be stress. It wasn't a bad guess, all things considered. While she felt no stress in the moment courtesy of the sea in her mind and its calming effect, she had certainly been under a lot of stress prior to the Summoning Ritual. She wondered how she should phrase her answer. She opted for honesty.

"I was rather stressed out leading up to the Summoning Ritual. You may not know this, but my classmates have a name for me: Louise the Zero, born from my various failures at spellcasting. As you might expect, I was eager to prove them wrong and the Summoning Ritual provided just such an opportunity."

Osmond gave her a sympathetic nod and motioned for her to continue. Though he winced inwardly. He didn't like where this was going. Louise continued.

"Well, as it turns out they were right all along." Louise couldn't help but let out a small laugh at that. It was rather funny in retrospect. "I failed the ritual miserably, and then passed out from sheer pent up stress to wake a week later. Which brings us to the now." Louise finished.

Osmond took a deep breath. "First off, Miss Vallière, no one at this academy thinks of you as a failure, neither teacher nor student. This matter of nicknames is simply a joke that has gone too far. I will have a word with your classmates about it." Osmond thought that while Louise might soon be leaving the academy, eventually she would meet her noble peers again and she should at least have a pleasant send-off.

"No need, really." Louise waved off his offer easily. "As I said before, I really _was_ a failure. Besides, I can't imagine staying behind class to help clean up after my various miscasts were any fun, so part of their enmity is not ill-placed. In a way, the entire thing was mostly my fault." That was laying it on a little thick, Louise thought but she really didn't care about the whole affair that much at this point, so better to just place the blame on herself and get it out the way.

"I-I see." Osmond said, his voice cracking involuntarily. He had not been expecting this type of answer at all. "That is very magnanimous of you, Miss Vallière." It also sounded nothing like what he knew of the young girl. While not familiar with every student, Osmond had at least heard enough to know that Louise supposedly had an impressive temper paired with a stubborn streak and often refused to admit any wrongdoing on her part. Yet here she was, trying to smooth over a year's worth of bullying by placing the blame on herself. Osmond could tell that she didn't _actually_ believe it was all her own fault, but more that she was willing to admit to it if it made him drop the topic.

Louise, too, realized that her answer was rather unusual given her former temper and that was most likely why it had given Osmond such pause. She decided to elaborate.

"I realize that this sentiment can perhaps be considered a bit _uncharacteristic_ of me, but I've had a…change of perspective recently, you see."

It was an odd thing to be sure, to be without the feelings of anger, insecurity or stress that had been her constant companions for years. They had all mostly just faded away. Louise could recall scenes where she had lost her temper, had given in to Kirche's provocations or had been affected by the jeers of her classmates, but the accompanying feelings of anger or indignation no longer took hold in her. She even recalled a time where someone had insinuated something untoward about the Princess, oh she had been angry about that. If she focused, she could still feel the righteous fury bubble inside her, but without consciously maintaining it, it too faded away. The sea had taken hold in Louise's mind. A Great Deep Sea, the birthplace and final resting place of all things. Feelings were the first to go, apparently. It wasn't as if she was left entirely without emotions, however. She still felt pride in her heritage as a noble, pride in her country and now pride in her abilities as a water mage. Mirth, too, seemed to have wormed in its way into her being, if her frequent fits of laughter was any indication. She feared that it would become a habit, but that fear, too, disappeared into the ocean.

Osmond considered Louise's claim of a "change in perspective". Given that she had now remained quiet for a few minutes, it seemed she did not wish to expand upon it. That was just as well, he would take it at face value. If she was in such a cooperative mood, it would be easier to broach the real topic: Her imminent expulsion.

"I see." he finally said. Louise snickered to herself for some reason. "Have you given any thoughts to what you will do next, Miss Vallière?"

Louise gave him a perplexed look but answered immediately. "Why, I want to continue my studies at this academy, of course." She didn't understand where this was going.

Osmond fought to not turn his face up in a grimace. "Your dedication to the scholarly arts is commendable, Miss Vallière. Yet I fear that having summoned a familiar is a requirement for second years…" he trailed off hoping she would catch the implication.

"Oh, so you're kicking me out." Louise stated flatly. Truth be told, she had gotten so caught up in her new powers that she had completely forgotten about this detail. "But wait! I admit I was a failure at magic previously and the Summoning Ritual was just the cherry on top, but I'm different now! I have _awakened_ as a water mage." Louise said pleadingly, all the while trying not to smirk at the formulation. "If you give a wand, I can prove it." she continued hurriedly.

Intrigued, Osmond opened a drawer and handed her a wand. "This is your own wand, Miss Vallière. I have been keeping it safe since your accident. Now, which spell will you cast?"

"I will cast a spell to conjure water." Louise answered. So far, it was the only spell she knew yet she had compete confidence in it. She could still feel the sea, after all.

Osmond's mind was drawn to the memory of a drenched Miss von Zerbst and put two and two together. He quickly handed Louise a glass. "Then try to fill this glass with water without it flowing over." Such control was usually beyond fletching water mages attempting such a spell but he hoped it would at least limit the damage, were she to succeed in casting the spell in the first place.

Taking the wand in her hand, Louise waved it around a little. She barely had to concentrate, after all, the waters were already present and eager to obey her will. She spoke a short incantation for sake of formality before finishing. Immediately, the glass was filled with water up to the brim, but with none spilling over.

"Impressive, Miss Vallière." Osmond said upon seeing the spectacle. "Most water mages first hone their skills by manipulating existing water sources. But to conjure your own water like that and with such precision. Yes, impressive indeed, but you did always have a good grasp of the theory." He gave the girl a smile which she returned twofold. "This would place you at the mid-level of the Dot class mage, Miss Vallière. Perhaps there is a place for you at this academy after all. There is still the matter of a familiar, however."

"Surely when taking the circumstances into account, a leniency period could be granted?" Louise asked hopefully.

Osmond nodded sagely. "Yes, I believe you are correct. A month should suffice, I would say. In the mean time you will follow the general classes. You might discover that you have another affinity after all. When you have successfully summoned a familiar, we can discuss how to better make the curriculum suit your talents. You may take the rest of the day of to recuperate, but I expect you to be on time for classes, beginning tomorrow." he finished.

Louise nodded eagerly before bowing. "Thank you, sir!" She walked out of the Headmaster's office with a spring in her step. She got to stay at the academy and continue her classes. But this time she could actually use magic! This was going to be _great_.

(***)

Thing weren't going great. They were going well enough, sure, but not _great_. When she had first shown up in class, her classmates had stopped what they were they were doing in favor of gawking at her. Soon after, not so subtle whispers broke out. Apparently, the rumor that she had died at the Summoning Ritual had gained traction. And now that she had returned, this obviously meant that she was a corpse reanimated by water magic. The fact that she could now _use_ water magic only lend further credence to this. Really, the creativity of some people was astounding. It didn't help that Kirche had loudly proclaimed that she had seen Louise wake from the dead herself.

Louise had opted for simply not minding the various rumors. If she passionately denied that she was a walking corpse, after all, it would only validate the rumors. Ignoring the gossip turned out to be the right course of action as it gradually died down. Louise had considered idly wondering out loud how human brains tasted, just to keep them guessing but decided against it in the end. She had few enough friends as it was. If any, really.

But this wasn't what had been bothering her. She had been expecting something like this to happen and it wasn't as if she was particularly close with any of her classmates previously. Kirche was probably the closest she had to a friend, sad as that might be. But no, this was not had been bothering her. It had to do with her own success in the magic classes.

Not surprising to her in the least, she had failed to cast spells of the earth, fire or air element. But unlike previously where she just caused explosions, now her spells just did nothing. Honestly, it was the preferable outcome and her classmates most likely agreed with the sentiment. Water magic classes, however, had been a mixed bag. She had improved her abilities and showed impressive control and precision when manipulating water, but only water she had conjured herself. Manipulating water from other sources was apparently beyond her. As was the many healing spells associated with the water element. This was bothering Louise because she _knew_ the theory behind all these spells yet she could not put it into practice. No, it was more than that, Louise felt that the theory was _wrong_. The way she cast her spells was so different from how she was supposed to that she might be convinced her way of doing it was wrong if only it didn't feel so _right_. She was beginning to think she wasn't really a water mage, after all. Louise shook her head, dismissing her feelings and ending her reverie. They had their place, but not now. Not when she needed to focus. Not when she was planning an ambush.

Around the corner she heard her target approaching. The characteristic sound of short steps followed by the _thud_ of a wooden staff: Tabitha was coming. At just the right moment, Louise rounded the corner on a course headed straight for the diminutive blue haired girl. Tabitha, in an impressive display of reflexes gently moved to the side, avoiding the collision and forcing Louise to deploy her backup plan: Seemingly tripping over nothing, Louise fell (gracefully!) on the ground. Tabitha, being a gentlewoman, offered her a hand with a perplexed expression. Louise sprang her trap.

"Have you heard how curiously the sea churns?"

Tabitha having never quite been approached in that manner before, having never heard such a question to start a conversation with and having no clue how to answer anyways, stayed quiet but intensified her look at the smiling pink haired girl in front of her. Louise took it as a sign of interest and continued.

"Like a storm, but like the rain. Only gentle, like dripping water. It bellows from de-ep inside of me."

Louise had been wanting to talk with someone about this for a while and Tabitha was the most skilled water mage she knew. If she could compare her own experiences of the sea with Tabitha's perhaps she could find what was keeping her from learning regular water spells. Tabitha, however, offered her no such hope.

"I hear nothing of the sort." she gave an unusually long answer albeit still frank and to the point.

"Really?" Louise could hardly believe it. "But you're so good at water magic! Surely you must feel _some_ connection to the sea?"

"No." came the answer.

As Louise stood still, mouth slightly agape, considering the implications of what she had just heard, Tabitha took it as an opportunity to resume her course towards her original destination. _I'll have to think more on this,_ Louise concluded.

(***)

And so it was that Louise found herself in the baths once more. She had been frequenting the baths recently "to get in touch with her element". She saw no reason why it couldn't also coincide with some relaxation. At first, when she had went simply to clean herself, Louise had been surprised at how _uncomfortable_ she had found it. The academy baths for nobles were rather spacey with water being continually heated by a built-in fire enchantment. Supposedly the height of comfort. Yet Louise had found the feel of the water to be rougher than she liked and it was never quite the right temperature. A far cry from the sea in her dreams. Louise had taken to bringing her wand with her to the baths to silently conjure some water for herself so she could relax properly. At least until she had overheard the complaints of some of the other girls, stating that the water was now somehow "different" and "creepy". Philistines.

Instead, Louise had taken to practice tuning out the surrounding world. She had found that with sufficient focus, not just emotions but even physical sensations would begin to fade away. And the baths, causing her a minor but near constant sense of discomfort was an excellent training ground for this. Focusing inwards, Louise turned her thoughts to the sea. Recalling its feel, the sound of the waves and even the subtle smell, she gradually tuned out the surrounding world. Now she could finally relax in truth. This really was the best kind of training: One with immediate gratification. She began to ponder Tabitha's words from earlier. Was it really possible that other water mages did not feel a connection to the sea in the way that she did? She had worded her question carefully, trying to convey the sensations the felt but perhaps Tabitha had misunderstood her regardless? Maybe she thought Louise was talking about a literal sea. In that case, Louise could understand why the bluette had been so dismissive. Louise certainly felt no connection to the waters surrounding her at the moment, in fact they only served to bother her. Her thoughts were involuntarily drawn back to the present by sheer discomfort. Her concentration broken, Louise only now noticed that she was sitting in scalding hot water and gave off an undignified yelp as she leapt for safety. Resurfacing from the much colder adjacent pool, Louise heard the sound of laughter.

"An ecu for your thoughts, Louise? You looked so out of it I simply had to see if you were still alive!"

 _Zerbst_. Louise did not know why the redhead had brought her wand with her to the baths, but she was not the only one. She had just made a terrible mistake. Louise's glare turned into a smile.

"Kirche."

And then into a grin.

"You sorry fool." Louise pulled out her own wand. "You dare challenge me in _my_ domain? Your audacity is matched only by your shortsightedness!" Louise prepared to cast her spell. She would end this once and for all.

Kirche, realizing her folly, quickly hid herself behind Tabitha who had come to the baths with her. The bluette was, surprisingly, or perhaps _not_ surprisingly, still reading a book. It gave Louise pause but not for long.

"You coward, you wish to hide behind another's back? But it is all for naught, because there is no way Tabitha wouldn't have water proofed her book beforehand! Prepare to face the sea!"

Upon hearing this declaration, Tabitha gently shook her head. This gesture _was_ enough to put Louise to a halt. _Really? She would just risk one of the library's books like that? Unless…she had foreseen something like this happening and needed a way to enforce a ceasefire?!_

Kirche, apparently coming to the same conclusion, attempted to hug the girl but Tabitha evaded deftly, carefully avoiding getting her book wet. Kirche opted for the less satisfying, purely verbal from of showing affection.

"Tabitha, you're the best!" She declared.

Knowing when she had been defeated, Louise gave a sigh before she chuckled to herself. She sat down next to the two girls with a small smile on her face.

"So, what are the two of you doing for the Fair?" In two days, there would be a small fair, where the second years could show off their newly summoned familiars. There were even prizes being awarded to the "best" familiars and some took it quite seriously.

If Kirche was surprised about the change in attitude or topic, she didn't show it. Instead she began speaking in an exited tone of voice.

"I've been teaching my Flame how to make words and symbols from fire."

"Wait, you named your salamander "Flame"?" Louise asked incredulously. Kirche had summoned a salamander, a rather large fire breathing lizard thought to be related to dragons.

"What's wrong with the name? It perfectly describes both his nature and personality." Kirche insisted, seemingly perturbed by the questioning of her naming skills.

Louise still thought the name was sort of uncreative but relented. "So, what words have you been teaching him, then?" She tried instead. This got Kirche right back into her good mood.

"Oh, this and that." she said vaguely. "I don't want to ruin the surprise. You simply _must_ come see our performance".

Louise noted that Kirche failed to hide a conspiratorial grin after the last statement.

"Sure." she agreed easily. If nothing else, she was now curious about what the redhead was up to. "What about you, Tabitha?" She addressed the third member of their group who had remained silent so far. The girl was about to respond via a no doubt hard-to-interpret gesture but received a not so subtle prod from Kirche.

"Fly." she stated instead.

Louise nodded. It did make sense to show off a dragon like that. She almost felt a little bad for the mages with more mundane familiars like owls or toads. Surely they would be hard pressed to compete with the more exotic animals.

"What about yourself, Louise?" Kirche asked.

"Me? I have no particular plans, really. I will probably just watch the performances as a spectator. Well, some of them at least. Other than that, I heard the Princess will be attending so that's something to look forward to." Louise answered with a smile.

Kirche seemed intrigued. "Really, the Princess of Tristain? What was her name, Henrietta? Where did you hear this from?"

"I heard the rumor from Malicorne."

"…the same guy who continues to claim that you are actually dead?" Kirche now seemed dubious of the authenticity of the claim.

Louise had to agree with her that Malicorne wasn't exactly a trusted source of information. She simply hoped that this particular rumor was true. She really wanted to meet the Princess again.

"Well, he'll have to be right about something eventually."

"If you say so." Kirche didn't seem convinced.

Soon thereafter they launched into some inconsequential small talk. That is, Kirche and Louise did the talking, while Tabitha supplied the occasional gesture or one-sentence answer. Eventually, Louise excused herself claiming that if she stayed any longer her skin would be dried up for the rest of her life, another consequence of this clearly inferior water.

Louise had welcomed the distraction, but it was a distraction nonetheless. She needed to be alone with her thoughts for a while. Or, perhaps not alone after all. She had many questions and she needed _answers_.

(***)

Louise had dreamt of the sea ever since she failed the Summoning Ritual. She welcomed the dream, indeed she cherished it, but it came with one downside: Louise completely lost her sense of time when sleeping. She could wake from the dream whenever she wanted to, but it was impossible to tell how much time had passed in the real world. She had even been late on her very first day of class since her return. She had since gotten a maid to wake her up each morning, which according to the maid in question, was quite the endeavor. Apparently, Louise slept like a log. Or perhaps more like driftwood.

However, the second years had the day off tomorrow in order to make their final preparations for the Fair and so Louise could sleep as long as she wanted to. She had gone back to her room, taken off her clothes and laid down on the bed. The familiar feeling of the sea ebbed up in her mind, promising to take her away, and Louise let it lead her to the world of dreams.

The sea never ceased to amaze her. Here, floating in the boundless sea beneath the featureless gray sky, Louise felt at home. More so than her room at the academy, even more so than her room in the La Vallière estate. Neither could compare to this. If just thinking about the sea could relax her, it stood to reason that the real deal would exacerbate that effect. And indeed, floating on the ocean, Louise felt relaxed like nowhere else. But she didn't come her just to relax. No, she did that every other night. This time she had come for answers.

Louise wasn't stupid. On the contrary, she considered herself to be rather smart. And it was about time she stopped ignoring the unusual circumstance surrounding her "awakening" into power. First off, everything had started when she had had a vison of the sea, one that drove her into unconsciousness. That was unusual enough by itself, she had not heard of any mages going through anything similar. Then there was the way she could still feel a connection to the sea even when awake, and how it served to calm her emotions. No matter how beneficial it was, it was still odd. And finally, there was her spellcasting. She was able to do certain things "beyond" her level with ease but completely unable to do other things that even novice water mages could do in their sleep and the theory of spellcasting that she gotten ingrained in her head previously, was of no help to her. Tabitha had confirmed her suspicions that other water mages did not feel a connection to the sea in the same way she did, and she had discovered one last detail in her own experimentation: She did not need a wand to cast her spells. The waters simply obeyed her thoughts with no wand movement or incantation necessary. All this could only ever add up to one conclusion: Something was off.

Louise had had a hypothesis. She had thought that she might not have failed the Summoning Ritual after all. No, instead she had summoned a powerful water spirit, but one without physical form. And her supposed water magic was really just channeling the power of this spirit. It had seemed reasonable and would explain many of Louise's experiences from the last week and a half. Yet now, being back in the dream, Louise could only consider it as the height of ludicrousness.

A sea stretching in every direction without end. Depths that went on forever, depths anything would disappear into. This dream she returned to every time she closed her eyes. This was not the work of a mere spirit. Human minds were not supposed to witness this sight, Louise had gathered as much from her first vision of the sea: A short glimpse had been enough to drive her into unconsciousness. And yet, the sea had welcomed her so. The vision was granted her, not from maliciousness but as a boon, a blessing even. Her own, feeble mind had simply been unable to comprehend its greatness. Louise looked over the sea again. A Great Deep Sea. No, this was not the work of a spirit, this was not the work of anything that could be classified by humans. Louise was tempted to call it the work of a god, were she not uncertain that such a term born from humans was still insufficient. That which had created this sea. This being that defied comprehension, which towered above humanity, Louise could only call it as a Great One. And she had come to this dream to seek an audience.

Louise rose from her prone form, the water's surface easily carrying her weight as she stood above the waves. She then knelt down, as if to swear fealty to a lord. She doubted that this position held any significance to a Great One, but she felt that it was worth doing regardless. Louise considered her words carefully and spoke with a certain sense of trepidation.

"Great One of the Sea. I, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, recognize and value the blessing bestowed upon me. And yet, I desire to further understand its profundity. But first, I must know more of my benefactor. Please, will you reveal yourself to me?"

Louise kept her kneeling position, waiting with bated breath for any kind of response. She did not know how long she waited, but eventually, something happened. Once more, Louise heard an indescribable sound in her head. However, she had primed herself for this. She knew now, that it was a voice. She could not hope to understand the message in full, yet images and concepts were still conveyed to her mind.

 **Ocean.**

 **Mother.**

 **Nightmare.**

But Louise understood more than that. She could see a symbol. One embodying all these concepts but with a phonetic interpretation. A name…? That night, in the dream, Louise learned the name of a Great One.

 **Kos**. Or was it **Kosm**?


	5. Giant Foe waits ahead

**A Call Beyond  
** **Chapter Five: Giant Foe waits ahead, you're in the know, right?**

Louise awoke feeling exhausted. She had a slight headache and felt like her mind had been working on overdrive for days on end and now needed rest. Well, the last part was true, only she did not know how long it had been in the real world. Rising from the bed and looking out the window, Louise saw that it was evening. Which meant that the dream could have lasted only a minute or that she could have slept the entire next day away. She was willing to believe either possibility at this point. It didn't really matter, she supposed. She would find out which day it was, come morning. Louise walked back towards the bed and laid down once more. She was tired, but she did not want to sleep, at least not for the moment.

Louise's mind turned to her recent discovery. A being beyond compare, a Great One, existed within her dreams. Or perhaps Louise had been granted access to the domain of a Great One via her dreams. Louise thought the latter to be more accurate, which meant that she was connected to the sea in a more literal way than she had thought previously. Louise drew the symbol of the sea in the air. Everything had begun from this sign. Would it be possible then, to share this with others? To lead them to the sea? Then again, Louise considered, if her first vision of the sea was anything to go by, maybe others were not ready to receiver this gift. She counted herself lucky that no harm was done to her mind during the first encounter. And besides, a petty part of her mind told her, did she _want_ to share her gift with anyone else? The thught caused her to snort. _My gift, really? I have seen an infinite sea, a place where all that is, can be, in unison and now I wish to monopolize it for myself? When I cannot even comprehend it in full?_ Louise gave a weak chuckle. _How very human,_ she thought.

She was broken out of her thought by a knocking on the door. Louise got confused and looked around her room in a disoriented fashion before she realized that, it _was_ actually a knock on the door, more specifically the door to her room. It was also rather loud which did not help her headache. _Who could it be?_ Had she been mistaken about the time and it was actually early morning, with the maid on her way to tear her from sleep? But why would she knock? Still confused, but now also curious, Louise strode towards the door and opened it. Curiosity turned to suspicion as she spotted a cloaked figure standing behind the door.

"Good evening." She hoped it was evening, at least. "Can I help you?"

"You may." came the response from the cloaked figure. A woman, going by the voice. "Would this be the room of Louise Francoise de La Vallière?"

Louise thought she recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it. Based on the dialect though, she was certainly speaking to a noble. "It would, and I am Louise. May I ask whom I am addressing?" People rarely used more than just her first or last name.

"Can I come in first? A hallway is no place for conversation, after all. Lest rumors start spreading."

 _The rumors probably can't get much worse_ Louise thought, but nodded regardless. "Very well, come in, then." Louise gave a quick glance of her room. She was in no way equipped to entertain noble guests, without as much as a tea set in the room. But then again, if guests wanted to be accommodated they shouldn't show up unannounced in the middle of the night.

The cloaked woman didn't seem to mind as she entered the room. "Agnès, please stay behind." She addressed a tall blond woman who had been standing behind her the whole time.

The woman in question, most likely a bodyguard of some sort, did not like this particular request and apparently decided to take it out on Louise as she fixed her with a stern glare. Louise did not appreciate the unearned hostility and gestured at the cloaked figure. _Take it up with her, not me_. This was apparently not the correct response and the bodyguard's, glare only intensified. Louise would be scared, had she not already witnessed far more terrifying things, and instead directed a meaningful look at the cloaked figure.

"Agnès, be nice."

"Understood" came the response. Agnès's look softened into a nicer glare. Well, as nice as a glare could get. The cloaked woman nodded appreciatively, before finally entering the room and closing the door behind her.

"Now then, I ask again, whom am I addressing?" Louise asked with a slight edge in her voice.

The cloaked woman giggled in response. "Oh, Louise Francoise, there is no need to be so formal. It is me, your old friend!" With a flourish, she threw off her cloak revealing a young woman with purple hair in a finely tailored blue dress. With a lean, but decidedly feminine figure, she was quite beautiful. And Louise would recognize her anywhere.

"Princess Henrietta?" Louise had gone so far beyond confusion that things started making sense again. _Of course_ the Princess of Tristain would who visit her room in the middle of the night. "Welcome to my room, err, your Highness". Louise quickly assumed a respectful position.

The princess let out a small sigh. "Must you be so formal? I came here not as a Princess, but to visit a friend. And are we not friends?"

Louise considered that statement. Due the La Vallière house's close relation to the crown and since Louise and the princess were of similar ages, Louise had been selected to be a playmate to the princess when they were children. The two had ended up getting along very well together and a close friendship had formed. But that was when they were children and it was now years ago since Louise had last spoken to the princess. Louise had thought that the princess would have forgotten about her or considered their friendship to be purely in the past. That she had not, and was even now still considering Louise to be a friend was quite touching, actually. Louise certainly knew how she felt about it.

"Always." She answered with a smile. A smile that was returned. "But it has been so long…"

"Then we better start catching up immediately!" Came the swift response. "And since we are friends, you will stop being so formal and call me Henrietta".

It went against Louise's upbringing but it _was_ a request from the princess, no, from her friend.

"Very well then, Henrietta." It still sounded a little wrong in her own ears but Henrietta seemed immensely pleased. "Then in turn, will you call me just Louise? No one really calls me by my second name aside from in formal circumstances".

Henrietta gave a tiny frown. "Oh, but you liked it so when you were little! You said being called by a long name made you feel important." Henrietta's frown had turned to a smile as she finished the recollection.

Louise could only give a laugh at the actions of her younger self. Always posturing, depending on status to carry her.

"Oh but Louise? Before we get too far into old memories, there are some things I must ask you."

Henrietta's tone suddenly turned concerned, prompting Louise to give her a determined look.

"What is the matter? How can I be of assistance to you?" Had she come during the night to discuss secret matters?

Henrietta gently shook head. "You can help me by explaining! I've been so worried about you!"

"About me? But why?"

"Really, have you not heard the rumors? They've even reached the palace". Henrietta was getting worked for some reason. "They say you lost your magic and fell asleep forever, they say a water spirit has taken over your body and some even say that you are dead!"

"Have my body taken over by a water spirit? That one's new." Louise couldn't help but laugh.

"So you did know about the rumors! You should have sent a letter stating that you was all right, you have no idea how worried I've been!" Henrietta sank down into the bed as she gradually calmed down. "Seeing and hearing that you was still, well _you_ , was such a relief."

"Ah, so that's why you asked me if this was my room. Did you _really_ think I was possessed by a water spirit? Or did you not recognize your 'old friend'?"

"Of course I knew it was you immediately. I'd recognize that pink hair anywhere. And besides, you haven't grown _that_ much." Henrietta finished playfully.

"I'll hit a growth spurt any one of these days, just you wait." Louise answered back with good humor. Alluding to her small size seemed to be Kirche's favorite rebuttal to just about anything, so Louise had gotten used to it. At least ever since the sea had stared preventing her from launching into a fury at the slightest provocation.

"But Louise." Henrietta said, her tone turning serious once more. "What gave rise to these outlandish rumors in the first place? Did something happen?"

 _How to explain this_ Louise thought, biting back a grimace. She didn't want to lie to the princess, especially when she was also her friend, but there were some details she was not yet ready to share.

"Well, all these rumors originally stem from what happened during the Familiar Summoning Ritual. You see, I failed to summon a familiar." She gestured to an empty bed of hay still in her room she had prepared prior to the ritual. Henrietta seemed about to say something but Louise held up a hand to stop her and continued.

"After that, there was an…accident". She didn't mean to envision the sea so it really _was_ an accident. "An accident, which caused me to fall asleep for a while. When I awoke, the rumors had already began."

"An accident, you say. But you are fine now?" Henrietta asked, concern heavy in her voice once more.

"Yes, I'm fine." Louise said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I've never been better". She spoke the last words with an honest conviction in her voice, a conviction which even seemed to reassure the princess.

"But then, what about your familiar? If you decide to leave the school, you can always drop by the palace, you know."

That was…a tempting offer, actually. But Louise shook her head. "After I awoke, I had a talk with the Headmaster, Old Osmond, and it was decided that in light of the circumstances, I would be granted a leniency period to properly recuperate before attempting the ritual again."

"So you're continuing your studies here, then?" Henrietta asked to confirm. Louise nodded in response. "I'm happy for you. But I just want to let you know: There's more to magic than familiars so don't beat yourself up over it. Why, I have no familiar myself."

Louise could not agree more with the sentiment, but it was the last sentence that really got her attention. "You don't have a familiar? Surely they teach you magic at the palace." Louise knew that Henrietta had been quite talented at water magic since she was small, so she thought it odd that the princess had not summoned a familiar: The proof of a mage.

"Oh, yes I have many tutors," Henrietta confirmed. "And they offered to teach me the Summoning Ritual too, but I declined. I don't really see the need for a familiar. I already have enough servants at my beck and call and, well, _one_ loyal bodyguard is trouble enough already."

Louise thought of the stern looking blond woman, Agnès. Louise had no doubt that she was still standing at attention just behind the door.

"I never introduced you to Agnès properly, did I? I must remember to do that the next time we meet. Until then, please do not think ill of her. I know she can look a bit scary but she's a good person. Just a tad _protective_ of me"

"A useful quality in a bodyguard, to be sure." Louise stated neutrally. Agnès hadn't made a great first impression on her, but then again she supposed that wasn't her intention. One is less likely to be hostile towards the person with the mean bodyguard, after all.

"Yes, quite. Speaking of which it is probably time for me to leave. If I stay here for much longer, Agnès might get worried and break down the door." Henrietta said so with a smile, but Louise could tell she was being serious. _Really now, Agnès?_

"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen. Even though I loathe to see you go." Louise really meant that. Finding out she still had a friend in the princess had been an uplifting experience. As was just talking amiably with someone for once. Louise gave the princess a parting wave.

"As do I, Louise." Henrietta replied, a sincere smile on her face. "You do not know how seldom I can have an informal talk with someone, let alone a friend". Henrietta ignored the wave in favor of pulling Louise into a hug. "But you speak as if we will immediately be separated once again. The Familiar fair provided a good excuse for me to come visit you, so I will still be here tomorrow. We can talk again after the fair."

"I would like that." Louise said. "But, uh, just to be sure, when you say 'tomorrow' do you mean this next morning or the one following?"

Henrietta looked confused for a moment. "Why, I mean this next morning. Confused about the days, Louise?"

"Yes, well, something like that." Louise admitted lamely. "See you tomorrow, then!" Best to end it on a happy note.

"Yes, see you then."

Henrietta opened the door, allowing Agnès to briefly pop her head in and glare some more at Louise though her glare lessened considerably once she saw how obviously happy the princess was. Louise decided to wave at her, too, before shutting the door.

Louise was still feeling giddy as she sat on the bed reflecting on what had just happened. The talk with the princess, with Henrietta, had served to relax her in a different way than thinking of the sea did. It had also served as a wonderful distraction for her mind, and allowed it to recover from its previous exertion. And now, Louise had a whole night to spend. She had thought about going back to sleep, but she didn't feel _ready_ yet, for lack of a better term. No, she would stay in the real world for now. Although that did not mean she had to be idle.

Retrieving parchment and pen from her desk, Louise wrote down two symbols with great care. One was the representation of the sea, which she was by now wholly familiar with, and the other was the name of the Great One which she had recently learned. Each carried with it a meaning much more intricate and profound than the simple structure of the symbol itself would indicate. Louise would spend the remaining hours of night staring intently at the piece of parchment, hoping to gleam any additional wisdom from the powerful symbols.

(***)

Siesta the maid rose with the dawn. As a maid in a prestigious academy with only noble students, she was used to rising early and making rounds ensuring that the hallways and especially the dining room were spotless. But she was not yet used to rising _this_ early. It was all due to a new responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders. One of the noble ladies, a Miss Vallière, had recently asked Siesta to wake her in the mornings. This was not an unusual practice and so Siesta hadn't thought much of it. However, it turned out that she had severely underestimated the difficulty of this task.

Miss Vallière slept like the dead. Only, Siesta was uncertain that the dead could ever look nearly as peaceful as the sleeping girl did. Such was her apparent bliss, that Siesta had felt bad for being supposed to wake her and had just stood still, fidgeting slightly. Eventually, Siesta had gathered her courage and had gently prodded the sleeping girl while calling for her to wake. This had garnered no effect and left Siesta no choice but to repeat the attempt with a little more force.

It had taken Siesta nearly half an hour to wake the girl. She had progressed to nearly shouting and prodding the girl with force just barely below punching but _still_ she did not wake. As a last, desperate attempt, Siesta had pushed the girl right out of the bed and unto the cold floor. This had finally been enough. Miss Vallière had then seemingly spontaneously awoken and rose from the floor with a grace usually not afforded to those who had just been pushed out of their bed.

"Oh, is it morning already? How peculiar." She had taken a brief glance around the room. If she was surprised by the fact that her pillows and blankets laid in a mess on the floor or that there was a maid standing beside the bed looking short of breath and on the verge of tears, she had not shown it. "Maid? Thank you for waking me. Now, bring me a glass of water, please."

Siesta could only bow and flee. As she almost ran out of the room, she was unsure whether to shed happy tears that she had not been punished for going overboard, or just cry since she was supposed to this every morning from then on.

And so it was, with great trepidation and a glass of water in hand, that Siesta approached the room of Miss Vallière this morning. Cautiously, she knocked on the door. She did not expect an answer but she had heard of nobles who had called for servants at specific times before forgetting all about it and beginning to engage in _private_ activities. So she made sure to always knock as a precaution, but predictably, there was no answer. Siesta opened the door to the room. The doors to the student's room were typically left unlocked so that maids could enter and clean in the inhabitant's absence.

Yet, Siesta did not find Miss Vallière sleeping soundly as she had expected. Instead she noticed the noble girl was sitting at her desk, hunched over a piece of parchment and muttering to herself.

"M-Miss Vallière?" Siesta's unsure voice rang out. There was no reaction indicating that the girl had heard her. She sighed to herself. "Please don't tell me she's sleepwalking."

Siesta was not was not certain if it would even be possible to wake a sleep walking Miss Vallière who could fight off attempts to wake her in real time, and she desperately did not wish to find it out the hard way. She approached the girl who was still sitting in an unnatural position and muttering softly to herself. Siesta placed her hand gently on the girl's shoulder.

"Miss Vallière? Are you awake?"

This got the girl's attention but Siesta now wished that it hadn't. Wide, bloodshot eyes fixed hers in an annoyed glare. Siesta gave a small yelp and jumped back, an apology already on her lips. Yet, Miss Vallière held her hand up to stall her before sighing and briefly closing her eyes. When she opened them again, they looked much more normal and she addressed Siesta in her usual, calm tone of voice.

"Good morning. Apologies if I frightened you, I had just gotten a bit caught up in my work, you see." She gestured to the piece of parchment, filled with illegible scrawling. "But it is probably a good idea to stop for now, so your interruption is a welcome one." she concluded.

Siesta was not sure how to respond to that or if she was even supposed to, so she just curtseyed instead. "Would you like a glass of water, Miss?" She handed the glass she had brought with her to Miss Vallière who nodded appreciatively. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Siesta inquired.

"No, not for the moment. You are dismissed." came the response.

Siesta curtseyed one final time before she left the room. Miss Vallière seemed kind enough, all things considered, but these mornings were still hard on her nerves.

(***)

Louise watched the maid leave, while she took another sip of water, before signing again. During the night, she had learnt nothing. She had studied the symbols with an unrivaled intensity and yet she had not been able to gain a further understanding of them. She looked down on her notes. She had attempted to write down a proper description of the symbols, hoping that it might give her an idea or let her notice something she had missed previously. However, she had stopped once she caught herself using the word 'indescribably' for the third time. Clearly, she lacked the imagination for such a task. Quickly thereafter, her notes descended into random scribbles as she unconsciously continued to draw on the parchment. Finding no pattern, Louise considered scrapping the parchment entirely but decided to keep it in the end. After all, they _were_ the first notes, hopefully of many to come, of her self-imposed project to understand the symbols. A Great One resided in her dreams. The least she could do was try to decipher its name properly.

Louise stood up and made a few stretches. She had decided she would need to pour every ounce of attention she could muster into her studies of the symbols, and so Louise had used the sea to drown out feelings of discomfort and even the sensations of hunger and thirst. She was paying for it know, though. Her body was sore all over and she was feeling both hungry and thirsty. Well, not that thirsty anymore, actually. Still, the sentiment stood: The ability to shut out the outside world almost entirely was a very useful one, but should not be used recklessly. Oh, she _could_ just continue to shut out the world, but that would only exacerbate the problems. One does not heal from a wound by ignoring the pain, after all. Besides, she was beginning to get a headache again. Both her body and mind were in need of rest and care. And so, Louise put on her student uniform and headed to the dining hall to enjoy a hearty breakfast.

(***)

It was a little past noon and Louise felt in prime condition once again. This was only aided by the fact that she would have the chance to talk with Princess Henrietta again this afternoon after the fair. Speaking of the fair, it was not yet time for the familiar showcase to begin, but a festive mood had already fallen over the academy. A couple of noble families had come to watch their sons' and daughters' familiars. They had then been introduced to their children's friends and _their_ families and from there it had turned into something of an impromptu social event with nobles chatting among each other and maids scurrying back and forth carrying refreshments. When it was discovered that the Princess herself actually _was_ in attendance many nobles had been quick to quarrel for her attention. Especially the lesser nobles and those with lands away from the capital, who would rarely get a chance to speak to her. Louise had no doubt that Henrietta was currently doing her best to deal with these social obligations. Luckily, Louise's parents had not decided to attend. She didn't quite know how to face them, yet.

Louise herself had retreated from the bustling fair grounds and secluded herself in the library. Well, almost secluded herself. Tabitha was there as well, apparently not needing to do any last minute training. Louise could only admire her quiet confidence, but then again, the girl had a _dragon_. She had every right to be confident. However, Louise had not come to the library solely to get away from the noise, or she would have returned to her room. She had figured that studying magical runes as used in various rituals would help her in her own research. It had been slow going, with information scattered far and in between several tomes, most simply referencing something the Founder Brimir said or did several thousand years prior. Louise hadn't realized how seemingly interlocked with Halkeginian history this subject was. She decided to ask Professor Colbert about it sometime, if she remembered correctly the man had quite the fascination with history.

(***)

Eventually, it was time for the main event to begin. The spectators were seated in rows behind a grand wooden stage, complete with a red curtain separating them from the participants. Louise had no idea how they had managed to build such a stage so quickly but had no doubts that magic was involved. She had gotten a front row seat on Kirche's insistence and was now sitting quietly drinking a glass of water. It was decidedly subpar. She would have to raise the issue of acquiring higher quality water for the academy kitchens at some time.

Louise watched the first few displays with disinterest before just retreating into daydreams entirely, not at all entranced by what seemed to mostly be a glorified pet show. Her sister Cattleya had much more interesting and well trained pets. Louise only called her attention back to the present as she saw Kirche take the stage. She had promised, after all.

"Good afternoon noble ladies and gentlemen. My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst, here today to showcase my salamander, Flame". Kirche then decided to forego the traditional curtsey in favor of a deep bow which caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd. Louise, though, was sure that it had little to do with deliberately not conforming to expected ladylike behavior and more that Kirche thought a bow would better show off her cleavage. "Now…" Kirche had resumed her position and looked to the side of her where her familiar had been moments prior. It was no longer there. "Wait, Flame, where you going?"

The salamander had decided to waltz right off the stage and towards the rows of spectators, heading straight for Louise. The people sitting beside her were quick to move away but Louise saw no reason to. She took another sip of the glass as the salamander stopped in front of her.

"Yes?" Louise didn't know what it wanted from her.

It soon became clear as the salamander was quick to use its long tail to break the glass Louise was holding. Apparently it had been offended by the presence of water.

"Excuse me?" Louise said, a hint of steel in her voice. What did that stupid salamander think it was doing?

The familiar in question responded by breathing a great flame. Before her eyes, the fires contorted and twisted until finally assuming a definite shape. It was unmistakably a rude hand gesture.

"Now listen here, you overgrown lizard." Louise was not about to take this lying down.

Flame gave a snort before spewing fire again. This time, the flames were molded into a crude, but still recognizable, depiction of a washboard.

"What did you just say about me?!" Louise would give this lizard a piece of her mind.

(***)

"…and you mother was an olm!"

The _heated_ debate had lasted for about ten minutes now and Louise could not help but be impressed with the salamander's repertoire of insults. It had insulted her size, her ancestry, her hair color, even her clothes (the academy standard uniform!). It had also somehow alluded to her having poor performance in bed. Louise had actually blushed at that one. But her last comment seemed to be the over the line.

The salamander gave a final dismissive huff, unable to tolerate her rudeness any further. It instead sauntered back towards the stage and then away. Clearly, it had better things to do.

"Flame, wait! What about our show?" Kirche hurried after her familiar.

All eyes now on her, Louise did a small curtsy before sitting back down. She couldn't help but laugh. _Well played, Kirche. Well played_. She doubted that insulting the respected La Vallière line, with Kirche being a Germanian exchange student and all, would garner her much popularity, but Louise thought it had been the most entertaining display so far, for sure. The La Vallière and Zerbst families had been feuding for generations anyway. What was more fuel to the fire?

(***)

The next display that caught her attention, namely Tabitha's, had turned out to be more conventionally impressive. The blue haired girl hadn't spoken a word, not even an introduction. She had instead simply pointed at the sky, from where her dragon Sylphid swept down. Tabitha had then fully shown that she also possessed the affinity for wind as she and Sylphid engaged in a stunning display of aerial acrobatics. She had landed to roaring applause. Louise felt bad for the remaining contestants. There was no way to top that.

Louise decided that she didn't even want to see them try, and made her away from the fairgrounds once more. With her studies into runes at a halt for the moment, Louise didn't return to the library, instead just opting for wandering around the school aimlessly.

It was there, a good bit away from the school and into the surrounding woodlands, that Louise picked up an unfamiliar sound. Like that of something heavy being dropped on the ground, but subdued, somehow. _What on earth is going on at the fair?_ Louise didn't remember any familiars who seemed fit for lifting heavy things. Upon further examination, Louise discovered that the sound did not originate from the direction she thought led back to the fairgrounds. In fact, it came from the opposite direction. If Louise hadn't come all the way out here, she doubted she would have heard it. Intrigued, she decided to investigate and began walking towards the source. The path took her back towards the academy, only she approached it from a different side relative to where the fair was held.

As Louise entered the academy grounds proper, she witnessed the source of the sound: An enormous earth golem was attempting to batter down the academy walls with its massive fists. On its shoulder sat a cloaked mage, continually chanting something. They were under attack!

(***)

Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, otherwise known as Miss Loungeville, though neither were her real name, was getting excited seeing success almost at hand. She had been hired by some rather suspicious people to break into the treasury of the Tristain Academy of Magic to retrieve an artifact by the ominous name of the 'Staff of Destruction'. How her temporary employers had even found her, was still a mystery but she supposed that she had built up quite the reputation as a master thief, so some parties interested in getting something stolen might well spend the necessary resources to track her down. They had offered her more than enough money to take the job. If she pulled this off, she could support her sister for years to come. Unfortunately, her preferred method of breaking in by using her earth magic to go through the walls proved impossible against the heavily warded academy treasury. A different method had been necessary.

Infiltrating the academy and posing as Osmond's secretary had not been difficult though she had needed to be careful around the old man. He played the senile fool well, but she was certain that he was more perceptive than he let on. Luckily for her, an opportunity had come up as he had been distracted lately by a matter over some student. This had allowed her to discreetly study the wards aided by the trusting fool, Colbert. She found out that the treasury's only real vulnerability was to pure, brute force. And so, she had summoned the largest earth golem she could muster in order to just punch through the treasury walls. It was not exactly subtle, but then again, five meter tall constructs were not known for their subtlety. The best she could do, was cast a silencing spell each time the golem hit the wall in order to at least partly muffle the noise. And it seemed to have been sufficient as no one had disturbed her and she could feel the wards weakening with every strike. Success were but moments away. Fouquet allowed herself a grin. It was at this moment that she heard a shout emanating from behind her.

(***)

"ENEMY ATTACK!"

Louise shouted with all her might. She had no idea why the mage and his golem were here or what plot required the breaking down the academy walls but she didn't care. The Princess was possibly in danger and she was not about to take chances. She hoped dearly that her shout had been heard by some alert guards and that reinforcements were on their way. In the meantime, she would hold off the mage…somehow.

"You should not have done that, little girl." The cloaked mage addressed her in a deep, angry tone of voice.

Fouquet was not certain that the shout had been heard, but she didn't want to risk another one. The little girl needed to be shut up, and quickly. With a movement of her wand, she directed the golem to stop its assault on the walls and instead face the small, pink haired girl in front of her. The golem began to wind up a downwards strike, as if to swat a bug.

Louise was not about to back down. She had ejected fear from her mind, having needed every ounce of brain power to come up with a plan. She would attack the knee joint of the golem with a water spell. With a little luck, and enough water, the dirt would turn to mud and the golem would collapse from its own weight.

As she prepared her spell, she saw the golem move to face her. She saw its arm wind up an attack. She saw its arm descend upon her. Yet, she did not move. She could not move. Her spell was not yet done and her body had frozen up. But she had no fear. To protect the Princess was her solemn duty as a noble of Tristain. And so, Louise bravely held her ground, as she was crushed by the golem's massive fist.

(***)

Fouquet heard the sickening crunch of bones snapping and winced. She had done it now – she had killed a noble. After this, she would need to flee the country and lay low for a while. Shaking her head, she turned back to the matter at hand. The job was not yet complete. She had silenced the disturbance but she was almost certain that others were on their way. She would need to be quick about this. She swiftly commanded the golem to resume battering the wall to the treasury. She was so close.

(***)

Henrietta watched the proceedings with a polite and attentive mask that perfectly hid how bored she felt. Hours of having to meet with all the nobles that showed up to talk with her and trying to remember their names and stations had been exhausting. So it was with some relief she had welcomed the academy headmaster announcing the beginning of the familiar showcase and urging all spectators to find their seats. The first displays had been fairly mundane but novel enough to keep her attention. One in particular had been rather, well, 'interesting' was the best word she could come up with. The blue haired girl with her dragon on the other hand, had been downright impressive and Henrietta had joined in the applause after that performance. Afterwards, came more displays similar to ones she had already seen, and Henrietta found her attention waning. She was broken out of this state by a shout.

Agnès, standing beside her, had apparently also heard the shout and was looking around attentively trying to locate its source. Some of the musketeers she had brought along with her as guards had also heard it.

"Hey, didn't that sound like 'enemy attack'?"

"Are we under attack? Protect the Princess!"

They quickly formed a circle around her, eyes watching in all directions, wary of an unseen enemy. They even glared as the academy headmaster Osmond hurriedly approached her, but with a dismissive wave of her hand, they let him through.

"Your Highness," he began. "We have concluded that the warning came from the other side of the academy, where the treasury is located. We will move out immediately to investigate. Please remain here, with your guards."

But Henrietta had stopped listening halfway through. Without a second thought, she leapt off her carriage and began running towards the other side of the academy. Her guards tried in vain to stop her and were instead forced to run with her while maintaining the defensive formation. Osmond too, had set after her but the old man was having trouble keeping up and had already begun wheezing.

"Your Highness! Please wait up, it is not safe!" He called after her.

Henrietta paid him no mind as she continued her frantic run. She had recognized the voice. It had unmistakably belonged to Louise.

As the princess and her guards arrived at the opposite side of the academy, they came upon a towering monstrosity which had seemingly just broken down the walls. Atop its shoulder sat a mage. Yet, that was not what caught Henrietta's attention. Her eyes were instead drawn to the ground in front of her. With limbs twisted into unnatural positions, with bones jutting out from the skin and lying in a pool of her own blood, was the battered and broken corpse of her best friend.

"Louise!"

(***)

Louise was not actually dead but she felt that it would not be long now. Pain was all that she could feel. She whimpered quietly as she tried in vain to move her body. She wanted nothing but for the pain to go away. She tried to think of the sea but she could not gather her focus. Had it abandoned her, now that she needed it the most? _Please, let it not be so_. Louise wanted that feeling back. The feeling of safety, of comfort. A place where nothing could hurt her. She wanted to return to the sea. Yet now, in her final moments, it eluded her. With no options left, Louse could only pray.

 _Ahh_ _ **Kos**_ _... or some say_ _ **Kosm**_ _. Do you hear our prayers?_

(***)

Fouquet cursed under her breath. Just as she had finally managed to break down the treasury wall, no less than a whole squad of guards had arrived. None of them looked like mages but the all carried firearms. And if that wasn't enough, she could see Osmond himself making his way over to her. She would be hard pressed to escape if she fled immediately but she hadn't even gotten the Staff of Destruction yet. And she had no idea where it was located in the large treasury. She cursed again, loudly this time. Had her luck finally ran out?

She was momentarily distracted by an unpleasant sound. Quiet at first, but now growing in volume. It was raspy and bloodcurdling, but she still recognized it. It was the sound of laughter.

Henrietta, too, heard it. But she was more focused on the origin of the sound. From where Louise had lain, she was now slowly getting up. She was not dead! A feeling of relief unlike anything she had ever felt before filled her. But, with those injuries…there was no way she should be able to move.

The haunting laughter continued.

(***)

Louise could only laugh. As she stood up, her right leg collapsed under her, the femur broken and unable to support her weight. She didn't care. The blood flowing from the hole in her chest had turned a dark red, but it was inconsequential. Her laughter was cut short as a rib pierced her lung, but it didn't _matter_. For Louise could see the ocean.

She saw it, placed beyond the sky. Its endless expanses covered all, like a blanket enveloping the world. It swirled and churned, movements born from unfathomable causes. Its presence previously obscured but now revealed in full. A private revelation, just for her.

Louise reached out her hand to the sky.

And the Flood came crashing down.

(***)

A torrent of water fell from the sky, with all the force of a raging sea. The golem, standing tallest, had been the first to fall, the sheer pressure of water crushing it. Fouquet tried in vain to protect herself from the onslaught but was knocked to the ground and left to drown. The academy had not been spared either, the weakened walls no match for the flood of water, as they finally collapsed entirely. Yet the destruction did not end there.

Henrietta and her guards were saved in the last minute as Osmond had conjured a multihued, luminescent shield to protect them. The powerful shield held back the tide, but only barely. Even now, cracks were beginning to show. Such was the devastation, that even parts of the surrounding woodland had suffered, entire trees being torn down and the soft ground turning swamp-like.

Only Louise, standing right in the middle of it all, was spared. The waters seemed to carefully avoid her or only gently brush past her as she stood, hand still grasping at something beyond the sky. Eventually she lowered her hand. As suddenly as the waters had come gushing forth, they now began to fade. They simply oozed into the air, once more returning to a place not of this world.

And yet, a small amount remained. Droplets from all around, gently flowed back towards the center, towards Louise. A truly meager amount, barely more than a puddle all put together. The puddle then expanded, turning into a small bed of water. Louise finally allowed herself to fall down, her consciousness departing for a better place.

.

.

.

 **(***)**

 **With this, we conclude the first "arc" in the story. This chapter turned out to be really difficult to write, but I hope you liked it. I've been experimenting with a few different techniques of paragraphing since this site enjoys messing with my formatting. So far, I quite like using "(***)" to signify a change in perspective or a lapse in time, and I will probably go back and change the previous chapters to reflect this, but let me know what you think. On that note, is there someone with more experience on using this site out there, that can tell me how to fix the title? I would like both "A Call Beyond" and the chapter title to be centered with one right underneath the other. You'd think it would be easy, but apparently not.**

 **On a story note, from here on out we shall diverge from the light novels as the story begins in earnest.**

 **I would also like to say thanks to all those that have read, followed, favorited and so on. This story garnered more interest than I thought it would, so thanks to all of you. Reading the reviews, especially, has been very motivating.**

 **On that note, there is a particular review that I would like to respond to. generally, I would do so via private message but the person chose to leave it as a guest. And some others might be interested in the answer to the question, anyway. So, to SadOnion, thank you for leaving your concerns about the possible direction the story could go! Second opinions will no doubt help me write a better story.**

 **Now, as for the question, which can be summed up as "Why Kos? And _how_?". Allow me to answer the latter first. The following will be my interpretation of some bloodborne lore and won't play a part in the story. If anything, it could be considered that "background" to what happened in chapter one. Here goes:**

 **Great ones are hard to kill. They are not invincible, but they don't just die, either. Specifically they can only be hurt in the nightmare in which their "true form" resides. Consider the amygdalas you find thought Yharnam who are invulnerable, but you can fight and kill the one in nightmare frontier. Now, amygdala is not a Great One, but the point stands: Every time you fight a Great One in the game, it is in the deepest part of a nightmare. In the Waking World, Kos "died" and her corpse washed in the fishing hamlet but she did not stop existing. Think of Mergo, the deceased child of Queen Yharnam. With sufficient insight, the player can hear his cries all the way from the beginning of the game well before the school of Mensis ever get up to anything. This proves that while he is "dead" in the Waking World, he still "exists" in some nebulous sense. What the Mensis ritual did, was facilitate the creation of a nightmare in which Mergo could exist in a more tangible manner, so that they could talk to him. This is exactly what Louise did for Kos, albeit not deliberately.**

 **As for "why" Kos, it was just sort of how the idea of the story developed in my head. I wanted to give Louise Great Deep Sea right at the beginning, since she would otherwise spiral into madness very rapidly (think of when she hears a murmur from Kos in chapter one and collapses screaming, while she is able to partially understand it in chapter two). And Great Deep Sea just goes naturally with Kos, so there you go. I also happen to find the idea of a bottomless ocean interesting on many levels.**

 **Well, that went on a bit longer than expected, but there you have it, Kos: How and why. See you guys next chapter.**


	6. Fear Your Blindness

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Six: Fear Your Blindness**

Louise awoke to find that she was blind. It was not a particularly pleasant feeling. She sat up in the bed she had apparently been sleeping in. She had no memories of falling sleep here, so someone must have carried her here. Looking around, Louise could see white walls made from smooth stone. The color matched that of the linen bed in which she lay. The wooden floor had a smooth texture similar to that of the walls but individual gnarls were still visible. The room was lit by sunlight streaming in from a large window made of paned glass located on the wall opposite her bed. This was the infirmary room, just as she remembered it. Everything looked completely normal. And exactly therein lay the problem.

Louise had not lost her memories, nor were they hazy or difficult to recall. She remembered everything that happened since she made the reckless decision of trying to take on an enemy mage by herself. But what stood out to her most vividly was what she had seen. She had witnessed a sea beyond the sky. What she had barely gotten a glimpse of during the Summoning Ritual, had been revealed to her in full. It was the sea in her dreams, she was sure, yet she had not been dreaming. It had been _real_. Every as bit as real as what she was seeing now. Was it any wonder that she had stopped to gaze at it as if spellbound?

But more that, it had _reacted_ to her. She had stupidly stuck her hand out, grasping for something she could never hold, something that was beyond her reach. But the sea had answered her call, releasing itself from obscurity, descending upon this world for her and for her alone. In front of such a tremendous show of good will, how should she react? Should she fall to her knees and pray? Was that even _enough_? Louise did not know and feared that would never find out.

Because the sea was gone. She could no longer see it. She was blind. What was most maddening was that Louise could _feel_ the sea, stronger than she ever could before. No longer was it a sensation only lurking in the back of her mind, able to be brought to the forefront of her consciousness only through immense focus. It was all around her now, the gentleness of flowing water easing her body and mind. The sound of waves a constant backdrop. If she closed her eyes, Louise could almost reach out and feel it. Yet she could not _see_ it. The presence of the sea was so clear to all other senses yet it eluded her sight. And without sight, she could not control it. She could request it, cajole it to manifest before her. But with her enhanced perception, she knew. What little water would eventually emerge was only a droplet in an ocean. She had previously thought that the waters were eager to obey her, eager to cater to her whims. How foolish she had been. The awesome power to command a raging sea was no longer hers. Perhaps, it never had been.

Yet Louise did not succumb to defeatism. She wanted to behold the sea again, outside of her dreams. Even now, just the memory was enough to awe her. She was not worthy? Then she would _become_ worthy. Louise had perceived a Great One. She knew that between them was an endless climb. But Louise vowed to take the first step. She vowed that she would once more gaze upon the World Sea in all of its glory. And what she needed, were more eyes.

(***)

Her immediate and primary concern at least handled for now, Louise began to consider more worldly matters. She remembered everything that had happened up until she had summoned the sea. After that, she was not entirely sure what happened. It's not that she didn't remember, but that she hadn't really paid attention to anything other than the sea. She had called it forth with only a simple desire: Destroy. She hoped that no one had gotten hurt by it. Except the enemy, of course, she hoped he had gotten _really_ hurt. The fact that someone must have carried her back here and that there were no others lying in sick beds in the spacious room gave her some reassurance, but she really needed to find out what had happened. She was pretty sure she had heard the princess even, although that was probably just due to her delirium at the time. Finally throwing the covers off, Louise made her way out of bed and towards the door. She opened it and was immediately knocked down by someone running head first into her.

The waters were quick to shield her fall allowing Louise to gracefully bounce back from the floor. It didn't even hurt. _I may yet be blind, but it seems I am not powerless_. Quite the opposite in fact, Louise hadn't even expended a conscious effort to bring forth the waters, nor did she have to concentrate to dull the pain. Certainly her connection, and thus her powers, had grown stronger even if the sea continued to elude her sight. It brought her no small degree of satisfaction. So it was a rather pleased Louise that finally looked up to see who had ran into her.

It was a maid who had been carrying what looked like a bunch of towels along with some clothes and what appeared to be bandages. After the collision, she had apparently dropped all of her things and were now picking them up frantically. As she got up, she noticed Louise looking at her with a strange smile. She let out a small "Eep" and began fidgeting uncomfortably. Louise could recognize that panicked expression anywhere, it was the unusually timid maid who woke her every morning.

"Why, hello. Funny running into you here." Louise giggled just a little bit.

(***)

Siesta had never been less sure of what to say in her life. Was that a joke? Was she supposed to laugh and say yes? But then what if Miss Vallière then accused her of thinking that running into nobles was a laughing matter? But is she said no, would Miss Vallière then accuse her of not being sufficiently happy to see her? Siesta needed a way out. She needed a distraction.

"Y-you're awake!" She eventually stammered out.

(***)

 _This again,_ Louise thought. She decided not to play along, just this once.

"No," she answered instead. "I'm actually just sleepwalking."

For some reason, the maid became stiff as board. The fear in her eyes turned to abject terror as she stumbled backwards. Louise, naturally, took a step forward. The terrified maid started muttering to herself as if in disbelief.

"No. Not like this…Not like this!"

Siesta dropped everything and ran for her life.

Louise looked in surprise at the spot where the maid departed from before falling into a fit of laughter. To mess with the help like this was beneath a noble like herself, but she couldn't help it. The maid's reactions had simply been too entertaining. Louise idly wondered what she could possibly have done to inspire such fear in the maid, but she supposed that some commoners might just be naturally scared of their betters.

After changing into the fresh pair of clothes, Louise was about to open the door again, when another person entered. It would seem that the maid had regained her senses halfway through her frantic escape and had called the head nurse.

The head nurse was a short but plump woman of some age and with a stern look about her. She inspected Louise with a small frown on the face.

"You should be in bed."

"I am perfectly healthy, though."

"I will be the judge of that. Until I declare that you are healthy enough to be moving around, you will stay in bed. Is that understood, young lady?"

She spoke with an air of finality about her. The voice of someone who was used to having her instructions be followed. Louise decided that compliance would for the best. She gave a meek nod and returned to her bed once more. Upon seeing her safely returned to the bed, the head nurse's expression softened into that of a mother watching over her sick child.

"Really, you should not be moving about yet. That you say you feel fine is nothing short of a miracle. Considering the condition you were in before you were brought here, you shouldn't even be _able_ to move yet."

"And what condition was that, exactly?" Louise inquired, curious. "I remember I had some broken bones and was bleeding a lot…"

"You were damn near falling apart at the seams!" The head nurse answered before sighing. "Suffice to say, you were _very_ hurt when you were brought here. If another water mage had not already provided first aid, you would be dead. Even now, I find it hard to believe that you survived."

Louise grimaced slightly and decided that in the future, she would do her best to avoid being crushed by anything.

"How long has it been since I was brought here?" Louise was starting to become annoyed with losing track of time constantly.

"You have been in my care only since yesterday," came the response.

That surprised Louise. No wonder the head nurse insisted that she stayed in bed. Even Louse could only consider such a fast recovery as miraculous. But she was starting to develop a theory.

"I am a water mage. Is it possible that I may just naturally heal faster?"

She got a huff in response. "I have worked as a nurse for more than thirty years now and have never heard of anything like that. And I should know, since I am triangle class water mage myself. And allow me to state clearly that even if you think yourself a water mage, for the duration of your stay here, you will _not_ cast a single spell. Is that understood?"

 _Too late,_ Louise thought, but nodded anyway. She didn't really think that water mages healed any faster than other people, but hoped that it could provide an adequate excuse for what she was increasingly certain _actually_ happened. Back when sea was merely a presence in the back of her mind, Louise had envisioned all her negative emotions disappearing into the bottomless depths. As her connection strengthened, she learnt that with sufficient focus, she could throw away any sensation she felt. The sea would accept them all. But she knew now: The sea was _real_. Why should it be limited to just feelings that could be discarded. Surely, if the sea was willing to accept something abstract as her feelings, it would also accept her injuries? Louise was certain that it would, and that it was exactly that, which had caused her 'miraculous' recovery. In fact, she wanted test her theory right now, but she doubted the head nurse would let her deliberately hurt herself.

"Say, Miss, would you mind examining again. I really do feel perfectly healthy."

"It's Peltier. Céline de Peltier. And I was just about to do that, give me a moment."

Soon, Peltier got out her wand along with a few tools from the bag she had brought with her. Louise didn't recognize any of them. She was tempted to ask, but didn't want to distract the head nurse just in case the usage of the tools required careful concentration.

(***)

The examination had taken a surprisingly long time. Louise thought that it would have been over with a few diagnostic spells and a few measurements from the strange instruments, but that was not the case at all. Peltier had had her carefully, _very_ carefully, looked over from head to toe. She would cast spell after spell at her every limb, sometimes multiple spells just at one particular joint. This was followed by repeated use of her instruments. Louise wasn't sure what they did, but it had to be _something_ since Peltier's frown was growing more and more severe. Eventually she could not hold back her curiosity.

"Well, Miss Peltier, how does it look?"

Peltier gave continued her work for a while before she answered.

"As far as I can see, you are in perfect health, Miss Vallière."

"Excellent! I told you I felt fine. Then, can I leave now?" Louise asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not." came the swift reply.

"Why not?"

"Because, Miss Vallière, your recovery is too unusual. When you were brought here, you suffered from numerous fractures, internal bleeding and a collapsed lung to boot. Even my magic cannot heal any of those so quickly, especially bones need time to grow back. Until I can fully ascertain that you are indeed as healthy as you seem, you will stay here and you will stay in bed. Understood?"

"Yes, Miss Peltier." Louise eventually answered. She didn't want to stay here with nothing to do, but arguing with the head nurse probably wasn't going to get her anywhere. Hopefully she could at least get someone to bring her some books so she had something to do other than just lying around. Further thought were interrupted as there was a loud, persistent knocking on the door.

"How about visitors?" She asked the head nurse whose expression seemed locked in a perpetual frown.

"Yes, yes, I will allow it. I doubt I could keep that girl out for much longer, anyway." That last part was muttered under her breath, but Louise heard it anyway. "But only for a maximum of two hours. You need rest. I will arrive personally to ensure that you get it." she stressed.

Louise nodded again, paying only half attention. She was curious as to who this persistent visitor was. Surely, it could not be Kirche? Realizing that her patient's attention was no longer focused on her, Peltier muttered something under her breath again, before making her way out of the room.

Now entering the room, to Louise's surprise, was none other than Princess Henrietta. She seemed to have had a short word with Peltier as she entered the room with a steely expression. Her composure lasted all of two seconds after the head nurse left, as she threw herself towards Louise's bed with surprising speed.

"Louise, you're alive! Oh praise the Founder and all his saints, you're alive!"

Henrietta had approached the bedside but had not dared to reach out and hold Louise, afraid that the young girl might break. Louise felt a little uncomfortable, not used to being exposed to such overwhelming concern. From where Louise lay, she was actually starting to become worried on the princess' behalf. Henrietta had dark circles under her eyes as if she had not slept, her purple hair was slightly frazzled and she looked like she had been crying. Louise reached out and took the princess' hand in her own.

"Princess, I mean Henrietta, it's fine. I am fine, really." Louise gave her best reassuring smile.

Henrietta gave a small sniffle before she leaned over the bed, enveloping Louise in a careful embrace.

"You don't know…you don't know how scared I was" she began. "You were so hurt. The head nurse said she wasn't sure you would make it."

At this point, Henrietta quietly began sobbing. But it was tears of relief. Stress that had been building up finally being allowed a release. Louise could do nothing but be quietly smothered. Sometimes, being small had its disadvantages. Henrietta must have realized this as well as she eventually ended the embrace and looked over Louise again. Louise gave a small chuckle at the newfound worry in the princess' eyes.

"I'm not a porcelain doll. I won't just suddenly break. Really, the only reason that I'm still confined to this bed is because Miss Peltier is a stubborn woman who refuses to recognize that I'm in perfect health."

"But how?" Henrietta asked. "It has only been a day since you were brought here."

"Presumably, Miss Peltier is very good at her job." Louise answered with good humor. "But I think that it may also have something to do with my magic." she continued, more vaguely.

Henrietta didn't seem to care about the specifics. "It could be a miracle from the Founder for all I care, I'm just so happy you are all right. When I saw you lying there…"

Louise winced slightly. Lying in a pool of her own blood, begging for the sea to save her, hadn't been her best moment. But Louise focused on something else that said.

"So it really _was_ you I heard. I thought I was hallucinating for sure." Louise said with a smile. "Then, can you tell me what happened? I don't remember a lot of the details."

Henrietta looked uncomfortable for a brief moment before nodding. "It began when we heard a warning of an enemy attack. Osmond came up and said that it came from the academy treasury. I recognized your voice so I ran over there together with my guards."

Upon hearing that, Louise gave the princess a disapproving look which was returned in full force.

"I won't hear a word about not acting recklessly from you. Not a damn word."

Louise was taken aback by the force behind the princess' words, but could understand where the sentiment came from and took the princess' hand in her own once more as a placating gesture. Henrietta did seem to quickly calm down from her minor outburst, but she did clutch Louise's hand more firmly before continuing.

"When we arrived, we saw a massive golem carrying a mage. Well, you know that but you might not know that that mage was the infamous thief called as 'Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth.'"

Louise raised an eyebrow at that. She recognized the name of course, but hadn't realized that it was him she was dealing with. Not that she had any idea of how the thief looked anyway.

"Anyway, when we arrived we also found you. You were…very hurt. Truth be told, I was sure you was dead."

Henrietta seemed about to break into sobs again but held herself back. Years of experience at the court had taught her to hold back her emotions when needed.

"Then, suddenly, you just got back up and then cast some sort of spell. It was like a dam in the sky had been broken, the water just kept coming down. It destroyed everything, I've never seen such powerful water magic!"

That matched most of what Louise knew. Though she was still surprised that the princess had apparently rushed to her rescue. There was also something else she'd been worrying about.

"I didn't accidently hurt anyone, did I?" She asked, letting a little concern seep into her tone.

Thankfully, Henrietta shook her head. "Headmaster Osmond arrived just in the nick of time and shielded us all. The academy itself and some of the surrounding forest weren't as lucky, though."

Louise sincerely hoped they weren't planning on pinning the damages on her. The La Vallière family could afford to pay, of course, but she doubted that her mother would be happy with her.

"What about Fouquet?" Louise asked, partly to distract herself for thinking of how much building new walls would cost but also just due to curiosity.

"When all the water disappeared we found her badly hurt and nearly drowned but still alive. She's been taking into custody. While my guards were taking care of that, I provided first aid to you and then immediately carried you to the infirmary. The head nurse was with you for an entire night before leaving, declaring that there was nothing more she could do. It's only been a few hours since then."

"Such a short time. Last time something like this happened, I was out for a week." Louise gave a short laugh. "I really do feel perfectly fine, though. But Miss Peltier was adamant that I should stay in bed."

"Well, she is certainly not the only one who thinks so! Regardless of how you feel, you are almost definitely in need of more rest. In fact, I probably shouldn't even be here…"

Louise laughed again. "Miss Peltier didn't seem to want you here either, but she said that she wouldn't be able to keep you out much longer."

Henrietta could only smile at that. But soon, her look turned serious again.

"Louise, promise me you won't get hurt like that again".

But Louise gently shook her head.

"That's not a promise I can make in good faith, Henrietta. But I _do_ promise that I will try my very best to avoid anything like this happening in the future".

"I'll take that." Henrietta said in a much more subdued voice. "Now, get some rest." she continued, turning to leave.

"You as well, Princess. You look like you haven't slept at all". She probably hadn't.

In response, Henrietta gave a short nod, looking just a bit tired. Suddenly though, her face lit up a little. "Now, hurry up and get better, we have a surprise waiting for you when you when you are well." she said in an almost teasing tone before closing the door behind her, preventing Louise from asking what the surprise was.

 _I suppose it wouldn't be a surprise otherwise_. She would just have to look forward to it. What she was _not_ looking forward to one the other hand, was playing the part of the bedridden patient until she could successfully convince Peltier that she was as healthy as she claimed. Louise mentally braced herself for some tedious days ahead.

(***)

It had taken an additional two days before Louise were admitted from the infirmary. And only then because Peltier had apparently run out of excuses for keeping her. Louise had been complacent for about a day before she had decided that "needing rest" was getting old. She had since incessantly pestered Peltier, almost daring the woman to find something wrong with her. Eventually, the head nurse was forced to conclude that Louise had indeed made an unusually swift recovery.

As for all the resting Louise had been supposed to do during the first day, she had instead tried something different. Lying down and closing her eyes, she had called the sea to her, reveling in the comfort it provided her, but _not_ falling asleep. It had proven nearly as relaxing as being in the dream and almost as refreshing. After opening her eyes, Louise felt no sense of tiredness but more importantly, neither did she feel the sluggishness of mind or body associated with sleep deprivation. Being able to simulate sleep by lying down, closing one's eyes and relaxing, was a rather useless ability since one might as well just actually go to sleep then, but it confirmed Louise's earlier hypothesis. If it was only the _feeling_ of tiredness she could drown out, then the symptoms of sleep deprivation should remain. But her body and mind had actually been affected in a tangible manner. Louise was certain that with a little tuning, this ability could be applied to heal wounds. In fact, she was sure that she had subconsciously done so after the confrontation with Fouquet. Her simulated sleep state also had the added benefit that, since she wasn't actually asleep, she could just get up whenever she wanted but unlike in the dream, she could still keep track of time. So she could conveniently "wake" when Peltier came to examine her or when it was time for her meals. A fact with which a certain maid was immensely pleased.

When Louise finally left the infirmary, it was with some fanfare. A couple of servants had brought her a dress uniform – clothing typically worn at formal academy events such as balls. Even now she was led through the academy hallways by the very same servants. Curious onlookers emerged to see what was happening, some of them joining the impromptu parade. Rumors of what or who had attacked the school during the Familiar Fair had spread like wildfire. Little was known as the Headmaster had done his best to suppress the incident. But what _was_ known was that a large part of the school walls were destroyed and Louise was involved somehow.

 _This must be the surprise Henrietta mentioned. But where could they be taking me?_ Louise's unvoiced question was soon answered as the delegation made their way to the Vestri Court, a rather spacious, outdoors area of the academy. And seated in the middle on a small throne, was none other than Princess Henrietta herself. On her left was Osmond and standing on her right was the ever-stern bodyguard Agnès. Even now, the woman was glaring slightly at Louise. Louise couldn't help but flash an amused smile at the display before carefully schooling her expression back into dignified neutrality.

"Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Come."

Henrietta spoke in what Louise assumed was her "regal" tone. It was certainly different from how she sounded when it was just the two of them. Louise did as she was asked and approached the princess with all the noble grace she could muster. Silently, she knelt before the throne.

"For showing commendable awareness by noticing the danger. For showing forethought by immediately alerting others. For showing exceptional courage by engaging the foe by yourself,"

Henrietta paused for dramatic effect.

"And, for singlehandedly defeating and apprehending the infamous thief known as Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, a triangle class mage, I bestow upon you the title of Chevalier. May your future deeds continue to bring honor to the nobility of Tristain."

A murmur rippled through the assembled crowd. _Chevalier_. It was a minor noble title, yet it was special in that it could not be inherited, it could only be earned. The title carried with it a different kind of prestige when compared to other noble titles. Holders of the title did not gain much clout in political matters but instead gained an almost universal degree of respect. As a mage, there was little better proof of magical prowess. And now this title had been granted to Louise. She could hardly believe it. But Henrietta was not done.

"It has also come to my attention that your runic name is not yet well known. Allow me to rectify that." Henrietta stood up from the throne and retrieved a small scepter. She then took a single step forward and gently tapped Louise's shoulder once, twice, thrice. For the Founder. For the Crown. And for Tristain.

"Rise, Chevalier Louise de La Vallière, The Great Deep Sea."

(***)

The Princess had departed soon after the ceremony. Louise had barely managed to exchange a word with her and thus was only really able to say farewells. Though she did receive a standing invitation to come visit the palace in the capitol. Headmaster Osmond expressed an interest in having a word with her later, but insisted that it really should be "later" and that she should just enjoy herself for a while. Louise had felt nothing but pleasantness exuding from his tone, but she couldn't quite shake off an ominous feeling. That is, until she actually tried. Still, she really hoped they weren't going to have a "talk" regarding the damages her spell had caused.

She returned to her room, eager to change out of the formal dress uniform that made her stick out like a sore thumb among the ordinarily dressed students. Her pink hair was already characteristic enough. She would have enough time to take a bath and relax a little before dinner. This was just enough time to mentally prepare herself.

Louise was not fond of crowds. In fact, during her entire life, she had had nothing but bad experiences with them. Worst of all, this was completely new territory for her. Louise was used to _negative_ attention from crowds. People jeering at her, mocking her, whispering loudly when they thought she couldn't hear them. Situations like that. Of course, Louise was no longer bothered by such antics. There was a very simple solution: To just ignore it all. Something which the presence of the sea made extraordinarily easy. But this was different, this was _positive_ attention. A lot of students either witnessed the ceremony themselves or otherwise got wind of it and wanted to congratulate her. As a noble trained in etiquette since birth, Louise knew that she couldn't just ignore them even if she wanted to. So she sat there, barely having time for her food, gratefully receiving congratulations from various students. Even some of her former tormentors were quick to offer a few words. She found it amusing how some of them had apparently decided to retroactively have believed in her from the very start. She knew that they did so only out of obligation, none of their congratulatory remarks were heartfelt but neither were any of her thankful words in return. Pleasantries exchanged purely so as to adhere to etiquette, attempting to smooth over any past grievances. Louise didn't hold it against them. Kirche either didn't know the etiquette or just didn't care to follow it, as she wandered over and loudly congratulated Louise on her transformation "from zero to hero". Louise found it to be the most genuine remark levied at her thus far, subtle barb and all. So she thanked Kirche in earnest and only summoned a little bit of water in the redhead's throat causing her to cough uncontrollably. Really, only a tiny amount.

(***)

The following day, Louise made peace with herself and headed for Osmond's office to have her talk with the Headmaster. She was summarily rejected and told to return at a later time. Now she _really_ had no idea what the old man wanted to talk with her about. She passed the time in the library taking up her studies into runes again. She achieved the same degree of success as in her previous attempt: None. She tried looking for Professor Colbert to ask him for help, but she couldn't find the man.

That particular mystery was solved when a servant found her and informed her that the Headmaster would see her in his office now. Entering, she found not only Osmond but also Professor Colbert, the two men sporting similar, odd expressions. Some mix of elation and trepidation. Louise didn't know what to make of it.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Vallière," Osmond began before pausing. "Or should I say Chevalier Vallière?"

Her new title sounded foreign and somewhat silly to her ears. As if unreal. She supposed she would need some time to let it sink in first.

"Please, 'Miss' is fine. You may call me Louise, even".

"Miss Vallière, then. Before we begin, can I offer you something to drink, or perhaps a snack?"

Osmond spoke good-naturedly but Louise stiffened slightly. Was this the customary last meal? If so, she wanted to take advantage of it.

"In that case, I would very much like a plate of macarons and a cup of tea." Louise had always liked those.

Osmond seemed momentarily taken aback, apparently not expecting her to take him up on his offer. He started rummaging through his drawers before eventually retrieving a handful of bonbons with a slight odor of tobacco about them. He handed them to her with an apologetic smile along with a glass of water. No, actually just an empty glass. Louise had to supply the water herself. Still, _close enough_. Filled with curiosity, she popped one of the sweets into her mouth before immediately regretting it. What followed was a slight couching fit during which Osmond's apologetic smile started leaning significantly towards the apology. He eventually cleared his throat.

"Ahem. As I said, thank you for coming, Miss Vallière. There are some things of utmost importance we wish to discuss with you." Osmond's tone was unusually serious.

Louise nodded, having regained her bearings. She didn't like where this was going. Osmond must have noticed this, as he was quick to reassure her, his usual friendly tone momentarily making a return.

"Oh, rest assured, Miss Vallière. This is not about the damages sustained by the school during the _incident_. You see, there was a bounty on the thief's pretty little head. It is yours by right, but if you relinquish it to the academy we shall go through the trouble of actually claiming it. From our standpoint this would be sufficient in terms of reparations for the damages."

Louise was quick to give her consent. With this, she could pay off her debt with her mother being none the wiser. Louise doubted that whatever bounty was on Fouquet's head would be enough to cover the damages entirely, but if the school deemed it "sufficient" who was she to argue. Still, something stood out to her.

"'Pretty' little head? Don't go hitting on thieves, now, pretty or not". She knew Osmond had something of a reputation as flirt (albeit not a particularly suave one) but surely, there were limits to what could be considered appropriate.

"Too late for such a warning, Miss Vallière." Osmond spoke with a slight tone of…regret? Colbert seemed to share in the sentiment as he gave a slight shake of his head. "You see, this Fouquet character turned out to be none other than our beloved Miss Loungeville." Osmond gestured at the table beside his, no longer occupied by the green haired secretary.

"Miss Vallière, for allowing such a dangerous person to enter the academy, for failing in my duty as a Headmaster to keep students safe, please accept my sincerest apologies." He bowed his head towards her.

Louise was momentarily taken aback. This must have been something that had weighted heavily upon him. She was increasingly glad that she had made a complete recovery.

"I accept your apology, Headmaster." She put as much graveness into her tone as possible. Anything less would be an affront.

"I see, that is a relief.". A small sigh followed before he looked her in the eyes again. "Then, perhaps we can move unto the main topic: That spell you cast."

He now had Louise's undivided attention.

"Frankly, I have never before seen a water spell with such raw power. Such is perhaps to expect for the daughter of Karin 'the Heavy Wind'."

Louise's mother was famous as a Tristain folk hero. While few knew the real identity of the Duchess de La Vallière, everyone knew the name of Karin the Heavy Wind, said to have defeated entire armies with her signature wind spell. Louise took great pride in being compared to her mother like that, but she doubted that her spell was anywhere near as powerful as what her mother could cast.

"Yes, powerful indeed," Osmond continued. "A triangle class or perhaps even square class spell. Yet that is not what astounded me. The most remarkable thing is that you cast that spell _without a wand._ "

Louise gulped. The cat was out of the bag now.

"Do you know why we use wands to cast spells, Miss Vallière?"

Louise truthfully shook her head. She had never actually asked herself that question. It was just the way things were done. Osmond went on to answer for her.

"We do so because that is how we are taught." He said simply. "The use of foci are meant to assist spellcasting but they are _not_ a prerequisite. Observe."

As he said that, Osmond held out his hand. Soon, a tiny flame sprang to life in his palm. Louise was surprised to say the least, but Colbert seemed downright amazed.

"Incredible." he commented.

Osmond let the small flame burn for a little while longer before it flickered out.

"As you can see, wandless magic is not impossible, a fact which even few scholars know." He gave a nod towards Colbert. "It _is_ , however, a strenuous task requiring the utmost precision. It is not something a mage can do without spending at least a century getting attuned to his magic. And even then, only simple, weak spells can be cast this way. And yet, you wandlessly cast a water spell of power I have not before seen, nary a week since 'awakening' to you talent for the arts."

Louise did not know what to say and thusly remained quiet. Osmond must have sensed her discomfort as he hurriedly continued.

"Please believe me, Miss Vallière, we do not wish to accuse you of anything. Your accomplishment is remarkable, incredible even! Yet it also carries with it certain _implications_ , ones we believe you should be made aware of." Osmond then gestured to Colbert who nodded and took over.

"Since the Headmaster brought this to my attention, I have looked into historical records of wandless spellcasting. From what I could find, there was only ever one other person said to have performed feats of similar nature to yours, Miss Vallière. The Founder Brimir himself."

Louise almost gasped. They were comparing her to the _Founder_ now? Louise looked up to watch the two men. They seemed entirely serious.

"We have since discussed the details among ourselves and arrived at a conclusion."

Louise held her breath.

"Miss Vallière, we believe you to be a Void mage."


	7. Wondrous Rune

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Seven: Wondrous Rune**

The announcement that she might be a void mage hit Louise hard but after getting over the initial shock she started to entertain the idea. And the more she considered it, the more it made sense. It would explain many things. Why she could cast magic without a wand. Why the traditional theory of magic didn't seem to match her spell casting and why she had yet to have any success with casting elemental spells. Deep in thought, Louise decided to look up from the table where her eyes met Osmond's. Both he and Colbert had remained silent after dropping the revelation on her, giving her some time to digest it.

"Suppose that we accept the idea for now." Louise eventually broke the silence. "Where does this take us?"

Osmond answered immediately, as if expecting that question to come.

"Well, Miss Vallière, that would make you the first void mage in six millennia since the passing of the Founder. Undoubtedly a big deal. And yet, I would strongly advise you to hide this fact at least for the time being. I'm sure you can imagine the political ramifications were it to be known that you are a void mage."

After a little consideration, Louise nodded. "Seems reasonable".

She could indeed imagine how it might upset the global political region, if it came to light that Tristain possessed a void mage. It would certainly invite a lot of attention from Romalia and the perhaps even from the Pope himself. Were he to declare her a fraud, for either the right or wrong reasons it would strike a major blow to Tristain-Romalian relations and Tristain's alliance with Romalia was one of the small country's main deterrents against its larger neighbors of Gallia and Germania. And in case the Pope _did_ believe her claim of being a void mage, that just might make Germania sufficiently frightened to try a preemptive attack. And besides _that_ , the religious craze from Albion might start spreading to Tristain.

In recent times, a new movement had erupted in Albion. They called themselves 'Reconquista' and demanded the retaking of the Holy Land, birthplace of Brimir but lost to the Elves since his passing. Spearheaded by one Oliver Cromwell, the movement had remained rather small until a private letter addressed to Cromwell from the Romalian Pope had surfaced. The Pope had stated that "While it is not within my station to comment on purely worldly matters, when viewed in isolation, I find the cause of retaking the Holy Land a most noble one." This was as much as an endorsement as was possible and soon after the movement had started to spread like wildfire.

Or like the plague as certain members of the nobility had put it. The nobles of Albion had come to the conclusion that the idea of a grand crusade went against their interest and as a whole, and the response to the Reconquista's demands had been one of platitudes and empty promises. From the last rumors Louise had heard, tensions between the Reconquista and the aristocracy were rising, resentment tending towards hostility and she knew that in some circles, the possibility of an Albion civil war was being discussed. If it got out that she was a void mage, those lunatics might turn their sight on Tristain and, by whipping the population into a frenzy, lead the country to either a civil war or a doomed crusade. No, the more she thought about it, the more Louise agreed that keeping quiet about her status as a void mage was the right decision.

Osmond then went on.

"Miss Vallière, I should now turn your earlier question back on you. What do you intend to do next?"

Louise considered it for a moment. In some ways this was actually rather convenient for her.

"Seeing as I am still unable to cast spells in the normal way, I would like to be exempt from classes. I no longer believe they have anything to teach me. However, I would like to stay at the academy."

Osmond nodded. "That is not an unreasonable demand and I will certainly allow you to remain here for as long as you wish. But how will you spend your time? I am sorry to say that I know of no way to teach you void magic."

"I would like to begin my own research into the subject matter, actually. And I would like to request your help in this." Louise directed a look at Colbert. "I have already begun a small foray into the matter of runes but the subject matter is closer related to history than I had expected."

As soon as the topic came up, Colbert's eyes lit up like a fire.

"Runes! Truly a fascinating topic. Most of what we know about the date back to the Founder, but evidence of runes of even earlier make have been discovered. There are also those who claim that runes originate from the Elves. In fact, this claim is still debated among scholars today! With so many applications, runes are a sadly underappreciated art. Did you know that no new runes have been discovered in more than a millennium? Nothing short of a travesty."

Colbert continued his impromptu lecture with such enthusiasm and fervor that Louise was unable to keep up. When he started to speak even faster, descending to the point of rambling, Louise decided to cut him off entirely.

"I take it then, Professor, that you are willing to help me in this endeavor?"

Colbert took a deep breath before answering. He had apparently only stopped speaking because he ran out of air.

"Apologies, Miss Vallière, I occasionally get a little worked up when such matters come up."

 _Quite an understatement_. Still, Louise gave an understanding nod. She actually really liked Colbert, an opinion shared by a large part of the student body. The man was patient and kind, always willing to answer additional questions from students or lend a helping hand where he could. That he was a little eccentric did not blemish her view of him.

"Although I don't believe my interest in runes is quite as strong as yours, I understand what it is like to be passionate about a subject."

Louise really did understand. Only, she would probably need to keep quiet about her particular interest. She remembered how her conversation with Tabitha regarding the sea had went. Then again, what if someone were to come to _her_ and ask? Would she then just launch into a tirade about how great the sea was? Yes, she probably would. She looked at Colbert again, giving the man a smile. Only this time, she was not _trying_ to be understanding as a polite gesture. She looked at the man as one would at a kindred spirit. Colbert must have noticed that particular look, as he returned the smile knowingly.

"Yes, I think you _do_ understand. Knowledge is a cup from which it is difficult to stop partaking once a taste had been had."

Osmond weighed in, nodding. "Such is the path of a scholar. Yet I must stress that all research into the unknown should always be tempered with caution. This world has been home to too many fools who ended up being consumed by their own research, often with disastrous consequences."

Colbert nodded gravely.

"The Headmaster is entirely correct. I would love to help you in your studies, Miss Valliére, on the condition that any discoveries made are discussed with us. This is not meant to limit you, but instead we want to provide you with a safe environment for when you wish to experiment with new spells."

Louise was a little slower to nod this time. On one hand, being able to bounce ideas off two great minds would no doubt help her. On the other hand, she still felt that she had secrets she did not wish to share. Like the existence of a Great One. If she were to let that tidbit slip, she could easily be declared a heretic. She doubted that Colbert and Osmond would be quick to persecute her, but it was better to be on the safe side. But still, the deal was too good to not take.

"I can agree to that." She eventually answered. "Then, will I also be allowed access to the restricted section of the library?"

The academy library was impressive in and of itself, but it also held a certain mystique. There was a section labeled as "Fenrir" that was off-limits to anyone but teachers. Students had long speculated as to what secrets were held there.

"I will inform the librarian that you are to have unlimited access." Osmond agreed easily. "However, I must inform you that the restricted section is not home to artifacts of terrible power or tomes filled with forbidden knowledge, regardless of what some rumors might claim. No, we have a vault for those things. The restricted section is restricted simply because most of the books are very old and some even irreplaceable. You must be careful with them."

"Of course, Headmaster. I shall be as gentle as possible."

"Good, good. I believe that should settle everything for now. You may go, Miss Vallière, but remember that you can always come to either me or Colbert should anything come up."

Colbert was quick to affirm that.

"Indeed. I will have classes to teach, of course. But outside of class, you can typically find me in the library or in my room."

"Thank you, both of you. Both for sharing this with me and in offering your assistance. I am most grateful." Louise stood up and did a small curtsey, as befitting of a noblewoman.

"We are both teachers. We have a duty to our students. Especially those with special circumstances."

Louise gave a final smile before turning to leave the office. She had found out something amazing, something that would explain the irregularity of her magic and know she had been given free rein to study it in depth in addition to her own projects. This was going to be _great_.

(***)

It had since been a few weeks and things were going great. Louise had thought that her absence from classes would raise suspicions, but it seemed that nobody had really cared all that much. She was approached once by a curious Kirche and asked what she had been up to. When she responded that she was helping Professor Colbert with a project on history the redhead had just straight up turned around and walked away. Louise had been surprised by the admittedly rather extreme reaction, but she supposed that some people simply didn't have an appreciation for history.

Her studies into runes had progressed by leaps and bounds ever since Colbert has started helping her out. Like she had feared, there was no one book that provided an overview of the art. Instead, it was something that needed to be pierced together from hundreds of different books, sometimes providing contradictory claims depending on the time during which they were written. But it seemed that Colbert had already done all the legwork previously as he had quickly prepared a lecture when she had asked. Only this time, it had been delivered in a way much more easily understood. Colbert had started from the beginning, referencing a dozen books to paint a complete picture. He would frequently take a break in order to provide the historical context necessary to interpret some claims and when contradicting claims were encountered, he was quick to point to an obscure passage in a book completely unrelated to runes that nevertheless shed light on the matter. He was an excellent teacher when he wanted to be, but it seemed that he was an even better researcher.

Louise was impressed by how much she had learnt, but mostly how _interesting_ it had been. She had taken up the studies of runes in the hope that she would be able to generalize the knowledge and apply it to figuring out the intricacies of the two special symbols she had envisioned herself, namely the sea and the name of the Great One who resided in it. But what had surprised Louise was that the symbols she was thinking of might indeed _be_ runes, at least in the older interpretation. Apparently, back in Brimir's time they were called 'arcane symbols'. In fact, in the oldest books, she had frequently come across references to the 'arcane'. When asked, Colbert had answered that it was an archaic term used to refer all magic dating back to even before Brimir's time. Its usage had died out as magic had been organized into fields and spells. Soon thereafter, 'arcane symbols' or 'arcane runes' had just become 'runes'. Still, Louise found the term to be quite remarkable and thought that it more astutely described the symbols she had envisioned. This had gotten her to seek out more references to the arcane and attempt to form an understanding of the view of magic in pre-Brimiric times.

This, of course, necessitated that she read through the oldest books, all of which were placed in the restricted section. Getting access hadn't been difficult albeit Louise cold feel the librarian watching her with eyes like a hawk every time she entered and left. No, what was a nuisance was that the restricted section was always rather dark, curtesy of there not being any windows. And since lighting as much as a candle was absolutely forbidden, as was bringing the books outside, Louise could only squint her eyes and try her best to read anyway. It also didn't help that the texts themselves were often sloppily handwritten in a small script. It was no wonder that most scholars wore glasses.

A few days had gone by with Louise not really making much progress in the matter apart from being able to exclude a growing number of books as being _not_ useful to her immediate goal. Chasing a word had proven to be just as elusive as it had appeared from the onset. Eventually she had caved in and asked Colbert if he had any information to share on the topic.

He had pointed Louise to a number of books of varying ages, some from as far back as somewhat reliable records could be found and some as 'recent' as a few centuries since the passing of the Founder. Colbert had warned her that the topic matter was such that it would inevitably be framed in whatever general worldview was prominent at the time of a particular work's creation. And that proved true: The oldest records were frustratingly vague in their allusions to whatever 'Arcane arts' were at work in their communities although she did note a certain sense of devotion to the concept. In contrast, works written after Brimir's death either _were_ clerical in origin or else borrowed heavily from scripture as any notion of magic prior to Brimir was either disregarded entirely or else regarded it as 'primitive superstition' with only a scarce few works referencing other, older, records. Louise thought that if she came across the saying "Brimir grated us the gift of magic, an act for which he shall always be revered as our Savior" one more time, she was just going to throw away whatever book it was written in.

In the end, balancing the different accounts in order to get a mostly unbiased view proved to be a delicate act and after a while, Louise noticed that she spent less time reading and more time comparing what she had read against her growing amount of notes. Said comparisons were held in the actual library since the facilities there were actually much better suited to reading and writing. During this time, she had also began a small game of trying to predict when the librarian would stare at her and then stare at him first. Whenever she succeeded, she would be awarded with a quiet grumble and quickly averted eyes which all just proved to be amusing enough to rejuvenate her spirits whenever she felt like she was stuck on something.

Unfortunately, the latter was none too uncommon seeing as a lot of books proved to be dead ends, or worse, contradicting an earlier work she had used as a baseline for comparisons, forcing Louise to review a lot of the same books _again_ just in case they made similar references to this new fact or viewpoint. And then there was the very real danger of getting sidetracked. A couple of times, Louise had come across an actual reference to a manual of 'Arcane lore' only to discover that it had either been lost to time, was not held in the library or in the one instance were Colbert _had_ managed to find a copy from his own collection, it proved to be just a collection of a madman's ramblings. Even Colbert had scratched his head and been unable to make sense of it. While such dead ends were altogether not particularly time consuming, they always left Louise with a certain sense of disappointment.

But what proved to be the _true_ distraction from her original goal had come when Louise read a record of Brimir's life written in contemporary times. Interestingly, while Brimir was always referred to as 'The Founder' in texts after his passing, in this one he was referred as a 'Scholar of the Arcane'. This had prompted Louise to look into the life of the Founder. At first she seemed to have no end to the books on the subject available to her, but Louise noticed that most books were derived from the same original scripture, only adding a bit of the author's own bias to otherwise identical accounts of the same stories Louise already knew. Not once had she been able to find another reference to the Arcane and its possible connection to Brimir. Eventually, when she had gone to Colbert, he had told her that any such accounts would necessarily be old and most likely placed in the archives of Romalia, well out of reach of any aspiring historian.

Dejected, Louse had decided that enough was enough and had returned to her primary objective of studying the history of runes, regardless of what they were being called. Such was spent the remaining time of the second week of her independent studies until Louise noticed that the notes she had amassed were beginning to get just as messy as the books she were reading. It was time for a break.

(***)

Louise lay on her bed, her head filled with runes. Or rather, the _history_ of runes. Louise had gotten so engrossed in her studies that she had failed to notice that she had yet to learn to learn any _actual_ runes. When she had brought this up to Colbert, he had laughed in a good-natured manner and told her that it had taken her long enough to realize. He then went on to say that, now that she had a better understanding of the history, they would be able to move on to more practical matters. Louise had answered that she would need a few days first to get her notes in order which Colbert had readily agreed to.

So, now she had some time to kill. It was about noon, but Louise just lay on the bed in her room. She wanted to distance herself from her studies for a while to hopefully get an overview. Diving headfirst into a new field had proven to be a great way to get distracted after all, if the side project launched by her pursuit of the word "arcane" was any indication. She would need to take a step or two back, think about what she really wanted out of her studies and review her notes with that in mind. Bur first, she needed to rewind.

 _What should I do?_ Louise had honestly considered just sleeping for a day or two. It had actually been a while since she slept, since she had recently taken to practicing her simulated sleep state every night. She planned to, at some point, develop it into a spell to cure wounds, but after taking to heart Osmond's lecture on the virtue of caution, she had decided that she would instead practice this more innocent version first before she started cutting herself up. She was actually getting quite good at it. She still needed to close her eyes to block out visual noise, but she had succeeded in "sleeping" for a few hours while standing up. And she had "awoken" to find that she was not sore anywhere. She had also found that she needed only a scant amount of "sleeping" in order to wake up feeling refreshed. It was the same within the dream, if not even more pronounced there, but Louise had tried to wake after taking just the slightest dip in the waters only to find that most of the night had passed. Time just didn't seem to run in the same manner when within the dream. But now, she had a couple days' worth of free time and sleeping it all away honestly sounded rather attractive.

But still, silly as it might seem, Louse had held back on sleep for another reason too. When she was still confined to the infirmary, she had made a declaration. A declaration that she would prove herself worthy to once more gaze at the sea she now knew encircled the world. And she had meant every word. If she could simply return to the dream and gaze at the sea there, she felt it would cheapen the effect once she had accomplished her goal properly. So she would not go to sleep now or for the foreseeable future. This meant that she would have to find something else to do. But what? When thinking about what she used to do for fun, nothing really sounded all that fun anymore. Read a book? She had had too much to read lately. Order an exquisite meal and allow herself to be pampered by maids for a while? Thinking of the sea was more relaxing. Visit the baths? She still found the waters uncomfortable so going there for the pleasure of it was out. Perhaps visit the capitol? It wasn't that long of a ride from the academy but it would only really change the scenery and not the problem. She could go shopping for clothes, she supposed. Maybe find a nice new dress. Yet it seemed rather pointless since she wore the academy uniform every day and generally avoided the social events were one would have a chance to show off. _In the end, maybe I should just go bother Kirche?_ It was a somewhat extreme option, but Louise thought that she had been falling a bit behind on social contact ever since she stopped going to class. The closest thing she had was history discussions with Colbert or occasionally exchanging nods with Tabitha when she met her in the library. Making her mind up, she went to find the redhead.

Doing so proved significantly more difficult than she expected. Louise didn't know where Kirche spent her time but assumed it would be somewhere where the girl would be easily visible. Such was not the case, apparently, as Louise had searched through most of the academy without any luck. It was only when she had gone outside that she had eventually noticed a speck of red at odds with the otherwise green scenery. Louise curiously found Kirche hunched down and hiding behind a tree, albeit sloppily. When the redhead noticed her approach, she quickly put a finger on her lips and motioned for Louise to get down as well. Now intrigued, Louise complied. After doing her best to hide her presence and huddling closer to Kirche, she spoke up in what was barely more than a whisper.

"What's happening?"

"Shh, she's coming." Kirche accentuated this point by pointing in the direction of the academy.

Before Louise had a chance to ask _who_ was coming, the person in question soon showed themselves.

"Montmorency." Kirche helpfully pointed out.

Indeed, it was their classmate Montmorency de Montmorency. Louise had never spoken much with the girl and she doubted that Kirche had either seeing at Montmorency prided herself upon being a noblewoman in the most classical sense, which ran counter to Kirche's more lax way of being.

"Why are we looking at Montmorency from the shadows?" Louise eventually asked.

Kirche's expression turned into a malicious grin. "Just watch."

Upon closer inspection, Montmorency looked a little under the weather. Her blonde hair wasn't styled in her usual drills but instead hang straight down. She looked somewhat haggard as if she had slept poorly for a while and she walked around nervously, constantly turning her head, wary of nearby threat. Suddenly, a shrill voice rang out. Montmorency visibly flinched and began frantically looking for an escape route, but it was too late. He was already upon her.

"Mon Mon! The star of my eyes, captor of my heart! Why have you been hiding from me? I desire only to gaze upon your radiance!"

The one who just spat that out with seemingly complete sincerity was another one of Louise's classmates, Guiche de Gramont. Somewhat good looking, but rather vain and foppish in Louise's opinion, the young blond nevertheless had quite the reputation as a ladies' man. If Louise remembered correctly, he was actually engaged to none other than Montmorency. Though she couldn't ever remember anything like the display she was currently witnessing. She turned to Kirche only to find the redhead beside herself with laughter. At Louise's raised eyebrow she managed to stifle it to a giggling.

"I admit, I haven't been keeping up with the gossip for a while now, but how did _that_ happen?" Louise inquired, curious.

"That's the best part, no one knows for sure! Although I do have certain… _ideas_ about what happened." If Kirche's tone didn't give away exactly what kind of 'ideas' she was thinking of, her eyebrow waggling certainly got the point across.

"I see." Louise said, not really sure what else to say. "How long have they been like that?" She asked instead.

"Only for a few days now. Whatever she did, Guiche fell head over heels in love with her. Poor little Mon Mon has been attempting to flee from his attentions ever since."

Louise doubted the sincerity of the sympathy Kirche held for "poor little Mon Mon" seeing as the redhead was still snickering to herself. Nevertheless, that did explain most of the situation, but there was a detail Louise still felt was out of place.

"So that's why you're making an attempt of hiding out here in the woods. You've been stalking Montmorency?"

"Yes, yes I have".

Kirche sounded surprisingly nonchalant in her admission, almost like stalking was a respectable past time. Then again, maybe it _was_ a common and accepted pastime back in Germania. Louise wouldn't put it past those barbarians.

"Anyways, were you looking for me?" Kirche asked as the two began walking back to the courtyard. Montmorency was running in circles while still being chased by Guiche. It reminded Louise of something she would see during a street performance in the capitol.

"Actually, I was. I didn't really have anything in mind, momentary bout of insanity, I suppose. Just wanted to get away from the books for a while."

"Ah, and so you came to see little old me. I'm flattered. Or is it because there is nobody else?"

"Yes." Louise answered simply. "Also, I'm not sure you can be little and old at the same time."

That got her a raised eyebrow. "Of course you can. Have you never seen one of the old crones mucking about in the cities, hunched back and all?"

It was as if a light went up in Louise's head. "I see, so _that_ was who you were comparing yourself to. Yes, I can certainly see the resemblance." Louise looked Kirche over with a critical eye, finger son her chin in a thoughtful pose. "And the hunched back…it's begun already hasn't it. The back pains from carrying around so much useless fat? My condolences." Louise ended by looking at Kirche as one would at a widow at her husband's funeral.

Kirche huffed haughtily in response. "You try to be nice and all that you are met with is vitriol. I don't know why I even bother."

She did her best to sound very offended, but Louise could still detect a hint of amusement in her voice. It was then, that Montmorency ran over to them, Guiche still trailing behind her.

"Vallière!" Her tone sounded somewhat desperate. Almost pleading.

"Yes?"

"Vallière, you're like a super water mage or something now, right? Then can you fix my Guiche? He's been acting…strange lately".

Louise thought that 'strange' wasn't quite how she would describe the young man who was _still_ passionately declaring his love for the girl, spewing lines that should make anybody blush from embarrassment. Luckily for him, it seemed Montmorency had taken up this task instead as the blonde girl was flushed completely red. She gave Louise a pleading look. Louise briefly reflected on what an odd thing it was for her to be wanted to solve a problem for once. It was actually quite a nice feeling. A shame that she would have to decline.

"I'm afraid that I'm still a novice when it comes to the healing arts. Besides…" she trailed off, giving Guiche another glance. "There's no cure for love."

"Oh, just laugh it up why don't you. Just like the rest." Montmorency sounded decidedly annoyed, especially when she nodded towards Kirche, presumably a representative of 'the rest'.

 _You think having to deal with the scorn of your peers for a few days is tough? Try a year._ Louise found it difficult to hold sympathy for the girl. She didn't hold animosity either and certainly nothing like a grudge, but the truth was that she had never really liked Montmorency all that much, something she believed to be mutual. And something neither had made an attempt to fix. Still, when the blonde turned to leave, Louise called out to her.

"Wait! I think I have a spell that could help, after all."

A bit of an exaggeration considering she had just thought of said spell on the spot and had never practiced anything like it before. But it did manage to get Montmorency's attention.

"Truly? It's not something dangerous is it?" Her tone sounded a little dubious.

Louise thought that, considering her own reputation, it was perhaps justified to be apprehensive but she still considered it to be rather rude to blatantly mistrust someone you had just asked help from. Still, she answered, all smiles.

"No no, not dangerous in the slightest. It's a spell to calm emotions. I'm not sure it will be enough, but it might help."

Montmorency's look of dubiousness turned to one of slight hope instead.

"How long will it take you to cast the spell? Do you need any reagents?" She seemed eager.

Louise shook her head. "It shouldn't take long and I don't need any special reagents. I _do_ , however, require Guiche to be still for the duration."

"Leave that to me!" Kirche broke into the conversation excitedly, having retrieved a length of rope from…somewhere. Louise had to ask.

"What's with the rope?"

"I always carry it with me in case of emergencies."

"What kinds of emergencies?"

" _All_ kinds."

Louise shrugged and gestured towards a tree that would be suitable for their purposes.

"Let's get started then."

As Kirche tied Guiche to the tree with surprising skill, she kept extolling the virtues of rope, referencing example after example of famous adventurers having needed it to escape a variety of dangers. Louise thought it was rather convincing and was tempted to get some rope for herself after this. Just in case.

"There." Kirche eventually finished. After a moment's thought, she retrieved a piece of lace from somewhere else before tying it around Guiche's mouth as a gag. Louise gave her an appreciative nod. She needed to focus after all.

The idea was simple. She knew that the sea could drown out emotions so she would use that principle to rid Guiche of his excessive feelings of love. The difference was, of course, that Louise would _offer_ her feelings to the sea whereas Guiche could do no such thing seeing as he wasn't aware of it. And she couldn't very well just introduce him to the sea and then teach him. No, she would need to do it without his knowledge and without his consent. Louise thought that if she could beforehand imbue some of the surrounding waters with the idea of 'accepting' whatever was in Guiche's mind and then guide them there but without materializing them, she could achieve the wanted effect. It was not going to be easy though. Louise took a deep breath and got out her wand. She didn't need it but she had to keep up appearances.

Her first attempt didn't end well. She was so used to materializing the waters around her, and they so used to be called upon to materialize, that she accidently ended up just splashing the side of Guiche's head with water. Kirche broke out in snickers again. Montmorency gave her an angry glare.

"Sometimes that's all it takes." Louise answered the unspoken question in a sagely manner. "But I'll cast the spell now, so don't be upset."

Louise then gently reached out to the surrounding waters. It was less difficult when she just took it slowly. She gently coaxed them to gather around her, awaiting her next command. _And now, for the dangerous part._ Louise thought of love. She had never experienced romantic love similar to Guiche's and love for the Princess or for Tristain would probably be too abstract. So instead, Louise thought of how she loved her elder sister Cattleya with all her heart. Then she imagined throwing that love away, letting it sink into the sea, but without actually going through with it. It was a delicate operation rather abstract, but Louise had enough mastery over her emotions at this point that she could picture it clearly. Ideally, this would cause the waters to 'hunger' for love when she would sent them into Guiche's mind. Hopefully they wouldn't take away memories of his sister or something instead. All in all, trying something completely new like this on another human was moving beyond reckless and moving into the territory of negligence. But, too late for those thoughts, now. Louise pointed her wand at the tied up Guiche.

"Calm."

The waters started flowing through his head like a tiny, unseen river. When Louise focused on the waters coming out from his head, she thought they looked somewhat heavier, but that could just be her imagination playing tricks on her. Once she sensed that the outflowing waters were still 'light', she cancelled the effect.

"That should do it." She declared.

Certainly, _something_ seemed to have changed as Guiche began violently trying to struggle free from his bindings. Louise gave Kirche a nod who then went and took of the gag. Guiche took a few hungry gasps of air before he began shouting.

"What in the Founder's name did you do to me, Vallière? I won't stand for this!" Guiche's tone was angry and accusatory and he started thrashing to get free from his bindings. Luckily to no avail. It seemed Kirche knew how to tie someone up.

"He doesn't seem much calmer." The redhead remarked.

Louise could only give a thoughtful nod in agreement. Had she messed it up somehow? Montmorency hurriedly rushed over to the man and began untying him.

"Oh, my dear Guiche. What did that witch do to you?" Her voice held great concern.

 _'Witch' is a little excessive I think, but it's true that I may have made a mistake here. In that case, I should take responsibility._ Before Louise could entirely finish that train of thought, her attention was drawn back to Guiche. As soon as his eyes met Montmorency's they sort of…glazed over, slightly. His features relaxed and he stopped moving, all his being was drawn to her eyes.

"Ah, my sweet Montmorency. How could I have forgotten my love for you? Seeing you here, it's like I'm falling in love for the first time all over again!"

Montmorency seemed momentarily taken aback, before she began breaking into small sobs. Louise wisely chose this moment to retreat and give the two some privacy, dragging Kirche with her. She also tactfully clasped her hand over the redheads mouth seeing as Kirche was on the verge of breaking into laughter again.

"Quite the happy ending, wouldn't you say? Almost like a fairy tale."

Louise had gotten sufficiently far away from Guiche and Montmorency that she had let Kirche go. Predictably, the Germanian immediately began giggling.

"Quite. Although I think even storytellers would find it a bit too sappy". Louise responded. She had thought it a little odd how Guiche had changed so suddenly from just a glance at Montmorency. She had never experienced falling in love, but she doubted it was quite that debilitating. The again, it was Guiche. The boy might just be naturally drawn to theatrics. Louise didn't really care all that much, truth be told, she was just happy that her spell had worked.

"Impressive spell, by the way." Kirche seemed to agree with the sentiment. "Didn't know healing spells could be quite that subtle. Guess you've been doing more than just reading boring history books since you dropped out of class, eh?"

Louise had no immediate rebuttal as she debated whether to answer that no, she actually had done little besides reading or explain that she hadn't _dropped out_ of classes per se, or instead try to defend the history books from the unjust accusation levied at them. In the end, she did neither, as her thoughts was interrupted by Montmorency calling out to her.

"Vallière! Thank you for your help." She was walking hand in hand with Guiche who also gave a tiny nod of appreciation.

"You're welcome. Seems even witches have their use, after all." Louise responded with good humor. Okay, maybe she was being a little petty. But she would allow herself that, every now and again.

Montmorency grimaced slightly. "Apologies about that. It was just…"

Louise cut of her weak excuse with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, it's fine, really. Heat of the moment and all that. Don't worry about it." Louise had long since reached the point where words could only hurt her if she allowed them to.

Montmorency gave a nod before breaking out a smile. It even almost seemed genuine. "Again, you have my gratitude, Vallière. You truly have become a skilled water mage."

Louise let out a short laugh at that before breaking out a smile of her own and giving a short wave to the now departing couple.

"And so, the heroes thanked the wise witch for her help before departing into the sunset, to live happily ever after. Truly a fairy tale ending." Kirche had her hands clasped together and a starry look in her eyes. "Yet, little did they know that the witch had placed a claim on their as of yet unborn child…"

"That got dark all of a sudden. Wasn't it supposed to be a fairy tale?"

Kirche gave a shrug. "A lot of modern fairy tales are darker re-imaginings of the classics. It provides a better contrast or so I'm told."

"Please don't ever become a writer."

"I wasn't planning on it! And it's all true, just go ask Tabitha about it. That girl loves fairy tales. By now, she must have read more than I can count."

"So four? Or maybe five? Doesn't seem that impressive."

As the redhead gave another offended huff, Louise let slip a smile. Picking on Kirche was somewhat cathartic for her. She was about to say something that might have been an apology when Kirche suddenly turned to face her, a dangerous look in her eyes.

"Say, Louise? You came to me in order to get away from the books for a while, yes? Then I have just the idea."

Louise gave a nod to the smiling Kirche, indicating her to continue. Her smile grew wider.

"You rose to fame from defeating that thief, The Bumbling Serf or something, supposedly a triangle class mage. Well, _I_ just so happens to be a triangle class mage as well. What say you we settle this on the battlefield?"

Louise frowned. "You mean like a duel? Those are against the rules."

Kirche seemed to have anticipated that response and had her answer ready.

"Not a duel, a _sparring match_. Completely different and well within regulations."

"So different and so within regulations that we should hold it in a secluded area and tell no one, I imagine?"

"You catch on quick." Kirche said, a grin still plastered on her face.

Louise pondered the proposition. On one hand, it was against the rules and they would get into a good bit of trouble when they got caught. And it _was_ a matter of 'when' and not 'if', Kirche was never subtle about anything. On the other hand, it actually sounded rather fun and might provide her with some needed experience. Still, she had been reckless enough for today. She had taken a risk on trying a completely new spell and she was lucky that it had ended up fine. She would try to avoid such risks in the future, starting right now.

"I would like to, honestly, but I think we should seek permission and ask that a teacher supervise us in case anything happens."

Kirche let out a disappointed sigh. "Bah, you're no fun. They'll never let us fight. Can't you just use water magic to heal us if anything goes wrong?"

"That attitude is exactly the reason why we need supervision." Louise answered matter-of-factly. "I'll bring it up to Professor Colbert about it later, he's probably our best bet."

Kirche gave a nod and a small smile at that. "Yes, he just might be willing to let it slide. Good, see you later then."

(***)

"A sparring match, you say? I thought you were taking a break to get your notes in order."

Louise saw no reason to wait and had, immediately after Kirche left, dropped by Colbert's room and told him about being challenged to a friendly sparring match. He had been unexpectedly accepting of the idea but had inquired about the state of her studies.

"I've decided to put my studies on hold for a short while, just a few days. I wanted to clear my mind of it all and then take a fresh look at what I've learned from afar in order to get a better picture of what I want to focus on."

Colbert nodded thoughtfully.

"Not a bad approach. It _is_ easy to get sidetracked after all, when one sits surrounded by temptations to down different avenues of research. Personally, I would recommend doing several projects in parallel, that way when you get stuck in one project you can continue working on another until you figure out a way to progress."

Louise smiled. That did sound very much like something Colbert would do, at least if the state of his room was any indication. It was littered with small machines, most in a state of half-assembly but a few were up and running although Louise could only guess as to their purpose. On the large table was spread thick tomes in between beakers and other glassware filled with strange substances, everything covered in a layer of handwritten notes.

"I believe I still have a ways to go before I can work in such a disorganized manner." Louise gestured to all around her.

Colbert answered her a glint in his eye. "It comes with practice, Miss Vallière. The sooner you start, the better."

"Actually, I _am_ already working on another project besides my studies of runes."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I am aiming to create a void healing spell, since I can't cast the ones associated with the water element."

"Create your own spell, you say? An ambitious project to be sure." Colbert nodded approvingly. "And how goes this project?"

Louise answered proudly. "I believe I have the fundamentals of the spell down and have practiced them regularly. I am almost ready to move on to the testing stage."

Colbert raised an eyebrow. "Truly? Creating a spell from scratch is no easy feat. Remarkable. Though I must inform you that you will need either I or the Headmaster to be present when you _do_ move on to testing. Even something as innocuous as a healing spell has the potential to go horribly wrong."

He shuddered slightly, as if remembering something particularly unpleasant. Louse was curious but decided not to ask. Instead she moved the conversation back to the original topic. Talks with Colbert were often like that. Louise would need to remind herself of what she was supposed to be talking about often lest she risked the conversation diverging to something completely different.

"Of course. However, regarding the matter of the sparing match…"

"Ah, yes, that is why you came here. In truth, it is not against the rules, yet I shall insist that I act as referee during the match as a precaution. In addition, I have another condition."

"What is this other condition?"

"I will require that you hold back, Miss Vallière."

"Pardon?"

Louise hadn't expected that at all. Colbert went on to elaborate.

"I heard about the power of the spell you cast at Miss Lounge- Fouquet, and I have witnessed the destruction it caused to the academy with my own eyes." He leaned forward in his chair and fixed Louise in a hard stare. "You will unleash no such spell on a fellow student."

"Of course. Such a thought never crossed my mind." Louise answered honestly. Not in the least because she currently _couldn't_ cast such a spell again, but also because she didn't want to hurt Kirche.

Colbert's expression softened immediately. "That is good to hear. Then I have no further objections. Just remember: The aim of a sparring match is to improve you skills and learn from you partner, not to hurt each other."

Louise nodded in response, before turning to leave. She would go and tell Kirche the news at once.

(***)

The match had been scheduled for the following day, the second day of Louise's break from her studies. It was to be held at the Vestri court since the place was pretty spacious and the hard ground wouldn't be significantly damaged by water or stray fireballs. Louise had picked a time when class was still in session in order to limit the amount of spectators. Not that she was nervous about being in front of a crowd, there was just no need to have them present. Kirche had agreed to skip class without hesitation. Currently, only she, Louise and Colbert were present. Louise would have expected at least Tabitha to be present, but maybe the small girl had better things to do, like actually being in class.

"No spectators?" Kirche looked around the empty court. "Ah, I see. You don't want anyone to witness your embarrassing defeat. I understand."

To back up his Master's point, the salamander Flame let out a great gout of fire which formed to a palm, that afterwards balled up into a fist to give Louise a 'thumbs down' gesture. Louse could only shake her head, an amused smile on her lips. _That salamander…_

From the middle of the court, Colbert cleared his throat. "Ahem. Are the both of you ready?" He received two nods. "This will be a match of mage against mage with no familiars allowed. Miss von Zerbst, please escort your salamander off the premises."

"Don't worry Flame, mommy's going to win for sure." Kirche reassured the lizard as she led it away from the court. Flame, however, appeared to need no such reassurance as he instead turned around and gave Louise a look she could only describes as 'smug' before letting out another gout of flame which contorted into a crude drawing of a stick-like woman being scorched by a raging inferno. Louise swore then and there that someday she would wipe the smile off that stupid salamander's face once and for all. She gently shook her head to rid herself of any distracting feelings. She had a match to win.

"Ready, Kirche?"

"Ready to crush you? Yes."

 _How dramatic. But we'll see who's going to be crushing who!_

Louise and Kirche both grinned at each other. From the middle of the court, Colbert cleared his throat again to get their attention.

"Both contestants are ready. No spells above line class are allowed. The match will end once I declare a winner or either side forfeits. Then, begin!"

(***)

Louise hadn't stood a chance. At the onset, she thought they were very evenly matched. Neither fire magic nor Louise's brand of "water magic" had any shield spells and so they two were just casting projectile spells at each other, focusing solely on offense. However, Louise had quickly realized that Kirche had her outmatched in two key areas: Casting speed and mobility. Louise would need to stand still in order to cast her spells, but Kirche had no such restriction and would cast her fireballs while ducking and weaving through Louise's own spells. Furthermore, she could cast them at impressive speeds. It seemed to Louise that every time she had managed to conjure a jet of water, she would need to dodge two fireballs. This made finding an opening difficult and capitalizing on it even harder. It was when Louise had decided to risk it, and stood still to make a jet of water, that had just narrowly been dodged by Kirche, curve around and hit her from the back, that she had been struck head on by a fireball. The impact had caused her to lose balance and her robe had been tinged slightly, but the spell was otherwise harmless, being only dot class. Still, it was a clear defeat and Colbert had quickly made it official, declaring Kirche the winner.

"That was a nice warm up! When's the match starting?"

Kirche had since been joined by her familiar and the two stood together radiating an aura of smugness. Especially Flame. If salamanders had proper vocal chords, Louise was sure that it would be laughing at her. Instead it just gave her a look as if to say 'I told you so'. Louise laughed softly to herself. She would let Kirche have it, just this time.

"Very impressive. How'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Well, one part is just natural talent." Kirche began, throwing out her hair. "But the rest's due to experience. I've been in many a battle, after all!"

"Since when?"

"My father's a famous adventurer in Germania. I have followed in his footsteps since I was yet of a tender age." She explained proudly.

Louise could certainly understand her pride. For most her life, her greatest desire had been to follow in her mother's footsteps, after all.

"So, how did you train? I mean, I assume you _did_ train and weren't just dropped in the wilderness or something."

Kirche responded with laughter that was just a pitch higher than usual.

"Of course not, that would be dangerous and irresponsible. No, we did a lot of sparring matches like this one. It's the only way to train, really. In fact, let's do one more right now!"

Louise gave Kirche a pitying look.

"I'm sorry I asked. But sure, let's have another match."

Not only was this a good chance to learn some skills Louise thought were necessary for any self-respecting mage, but it was actually rather fun. Plus, she had just thought of a tactic that would ensure her victory. Louise concealed a predatory grin.

(***)

In the end, they had had an additional two matches. For the second match, Louise had focused mainly on dodging. She figured that in order to cast spells while moving, she would first need to get comfortable with moving around in combat. So she just continued to dodge, keeping her eyes out for an opening. This passive way of fighting had been her undoing as Kirche had quickly caught on to it. Without needing to evade any spells herself, Kirche got the opportunity to cast more sophisticated spells. Louise was caught off guard by a fireball that changed course and began homing in on her after she initially dodged it. Louise needed to evade at the very last second to throw it off, but just before that, it suddenly split into two, cutting off both her venues of evasion. And then, while she had helplessly stood still, a third fireball had hit her square in the chest. Kirche had lambasted her for 'fighting like a coward' and even Colbert had chimed in with some advice, stating that a 'reactive fighting style' was best used in conjunction with shield spells. Little did they know, that it was all part of her plan.

Louise had quickly realized that, as she was now, winning a battle against Kirche was hopeless. But she could win a war. A war of attrition. The weak spells they used didn't consume much willpower, but Kirche had been casting spell after spell since their very first match, at a rate much faster than Louise. In the second match, Louise had nary let loose a spell of her own but instead successfully forced Kirche to use some of her more advanced spells. And that was paying off now. Louise had opened the third fight much like the first, conjuring jets of water as fast as she could. Kirche had responded to the relentless assault in kind, but Louise noticed that they now nearly matched spell for spell. Kirche had gotten slower. It was working. Louise switched to focusing on dodging again. She would bait out one of Kirche's stronger spells and then hit her while the redhead was still chanting. Victory seemed within range, as Kirche apparently got fed up and started chanting the homing fireball spell. Louise quickly launched another jet of water. But Kirche had been ready. She suddenly shifted to cast another fireball _while still chanting_. It hit the incoming jet of water head on, creating a hissing cloud of steam. It had been a trap. _This is bad,_ Louise thought. In fact, it was terrible. The steam obscured her vision, and she could hear Kirche finishing her chant. But with the visibility gone, Louise had no way of dodging the homing fireball Kirche threw at her.

"Ha! I win again!" Kirche was panting slightly, but seemed enormously pleased with herself.

Louise picked herself up from the ground with a sigh. She almost had it. But it seemed a decade's worth of experience was not to be overcome in one morning. Only almost. Thinking on it that way, Louise was actually _also_ rather pleased with herself. So she matched Kirche's smile with one of her own, albeit not quite as brilliant.

"That you did. Well fought."

"Oh, what is this? Did I crush you so overwhelmingly that you have forever lost your fighting spirit? If only you had told me you were so fragile, I would have held back more!"

She paused to gauge Louise's reaction, but was met only with a hand sign telling her to continue.

"Go on, please. I bet you weren't even close to running out of willpower either, were you? Go ahead, rub it in all you want."

"Suddenly awakened to masochistic tendencies, have you?" Kirche asked, wary of some sort of plot. "I didn't have you pegged as the type."

"Your crude insinuations are not even worthy of response. No, I simply want you to enjoy the moment." Louise paused. "While you can."

Kirche's features turned from a confused look into a fierce grin.

"Meaning?" she asked, the expected implication clear from her tone.

Louise answered with a grin of her own. "Meaning that the next time we fight, I'm going to annihilate you."

Kirche seemed more than ready for the challenge.

"You're on!"

(***)

In the afternoon, after a shared bath and lunch where she had continued to exchange banter with Kirche, Louise returned to her room. It had been an exciting day so far, and had certainly provided an ample distraction from her studies. Perhaps too good of a distraction. Even now, Louise found herself enthusiastically thinking mostly of possible tactics to beat Kirche in their next match. She had handled her defeat with grace, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to win. She would need to practice some more beforehand and possibly come up with a few new variations to her basic water spells. But all that could wait. For now, she had notes to get in order.

Louise closed her eyes and let the sea enter her mind. She asked it to take away her excitement and associated feelings. She had no need for them, currently. After what felt like couple of minutes, Louise opened her eyes again. She felt relaxed, a certain air of serenity about her. Louise enjoyed the sensation for all that it was worth. To let her emotions run freely could be exhilarating from time to time, but she found that she enjoyed this state more. With the sea on the forefront of her mind in either a metaphorical or slightly more literal way, Louise felt…at home for lack of a better term to describe it. That it would also help her focus on the task ahead was merely a bonus. Louise considered how easy it was for her to completely switch tracks like this. Maybe she really should follow Colbert's advice and have more projects running in parallel. An interesting thought, but Louise dismissed it for now. After her final match with Kirche, Louise had told the still present Colbert that she would be ready for the more practical introduction to runes the following day. So she would cut the self-reflection short for now and instead, well, reflect about something else. Namely the history of runes she had learned so far.

She thought that the most interesting things she had learned was that runes were older than 'magic' as practiced by modern mages. To Louise, this would clearly imply that the 'source' of these two arts were different. If magic spells were powered by the mage's willpower then what was the driving force behind runes? This also had some interesting implications regarding rituals. As far Louise had been able to find out, these type of spells were the very first ones to arise, shortly after the discovery of runes or arcane symbols as they were called at the time. While their origins remained somewhat unclear, their _use_ was fairly well documented. She was curious as to what, if any differences there were between these ancient rituals and the ritual spells still used today. They both were centered on the use of runes so was it merely a difference in outlook, between channeling the mystical force of the Arcane and practicing Founder-given magic?

How the Founder himself factored into all of this was another thing that had piqued her interest. Were she to believe the one contemporary record of his life she had found, it seemed likely that he himself was steeped in the Arcane yet it was also he who was responsible from the change from mysticism and rituals to magic and spells. The existence of 'ritual spells' would then lend credence to the notion of a sort of 'transient regime' between the two views. And Brimir, as the father of many of the ritual spells still practiced today would thus be a key figure in this. A shame she hadn't been able to find out more about him. Nevertheless, Louise made a reminder to herself to study some of his rituals more in depth at some point.

In the end though, Louise thought that, what would be most beneficial to her in regards to her immediate goal, was to study some actual runes, preferably older, and see if she could gleam any new insight from them.

(***)

The next evening, she met with Colbert in the restricted section of the library. The professor greeted her before directing her to a table well-lit by candles. Louise supposed that if anyone should have the right to light candles here then it should be a fire mage. On the table lay one of the largest and thickest books Louise had ever seen. She had been through the restricted section a few times by now trying to scope out a book relevant to what she was studying yet she had never seen this particular book. It might have been hidden away. Or it could just have been placed too high for her to reach. That was still a problem. The silence was broken by Colbert.

"This," Colbert began gesturing to the book, "is the magnum opus of one Andar von Solstavia, a Germanian scholar. It is a compendium of all known runes and their properties at the time of its writing, nearly two millennia ago. This particular version is the Tristain translation written after his death."

That was quite something to take in. Louise had expected Colbert to teach her a few runes, perhaps even some of the old ones, but _all_ of them? What an amazing tome. Still, Louise was curious about something.

"But sir, if the compendium is as old as you say, is it not outdated?"

Surely, progress would have been made in the field during the past two thousand years. Yet Colbert shook his head sadly a wistful look in his eyes.

"There is no better proof of the sad state of affairs that is Halkeginian runecraft than the fact that Andar's Runic Lexicon to this day still contains all known runes."

That surprised Louise. She had picked up that runes were a stagnant art just from the fact all the books she read on the subject were millennia old. She didn't realize it was quite that bad. No wonder Colbert was so enthusiastic in teaching her. He had to be one of the few remaining scholars on the subject.

"Ah, that may have been too hard a judgement. It is not as if nothing has changed since Andar's time. Here, have a look."

As he said that, Colbert cracked open the lexicon, revealing its contents. Each page was filled with runes, of varying, dizzying shapes. But in an organized manner. To each rune was assigned a number, a name and a description of its effect. Louise noted that most entries except for index numbers were left blank.

"Andar collaborated with the top scholars of runic lore at the time to record the effects of all the runes. Yet even they were only aware of the effects of a mere fraction of runes." Colbert explained. "Even fewer runes have been given names. Only those most well-known or most significant."

As he said that, he turned the pages, seemingly from memory, before arriving at a specific page.

"As you can see here."

He helpfully pointed to a runic symbol that Louise did indeed recognize. The rune, simply labelled as 'Summon' was the centerpiece of the Familiar Summoning Ritual. Its effect was listed simply. _A sacred rune left by the Founder. Aids a mage in summoning a familiar._ Louise thought that was a little vague. Colbert started thumbing through the lexicon again before arriving at another page and pointing to a rune Louise didn't recognize. Both its name and description were left blank.

"While no new runes have been discovered or made since, there have been made progress in figuring out the effects of some runes. This one, for instance, was proven to be related to wind stones and can aid in levitation. Today, it is used as a vital part in the construction of airships. There are other, similar cases."

"If that is the case, then why has there not been made an updated lexicon?"

"You're assuming that there hasn't." Colbert answered with good humor. "There have indeed been made modern renditions of Andar's Lexicon with updated descriptions corresponding to the discoveries made since. While not readily available, one can presumably find a copy in every major Halkeginian library. However, there is a major difference between the modern version and an authentic copy like this." Colbert gestured to the book once more. "Can you guess what that is?"

Louise shook her head, having no clue. Colbert went on, apparently not really having expected her to.

"The decision was made to cut out all runes with currently unknown effects from the original. You see, blindly experimenting with runes of unknown effect can be extremely dangerous. The only reason I am showing you an original version of Andar's Lexicon is that I believe you now possess the necessary knowledge of the history to understand how delicate our understanding of this subject truly is."

Louise nodded eagerly. That had been her own conclusion too, after all. Colbert smiled.

"Good. Then I will allow you to browse through the lexicon at your leisure. I will remain here should you have any questions. Just tell me when you are finished. The lexicon is normally housed in the vault, you see. Only very few original copies remain and the Headmaster had enough sense to lock up this one as soon as he got hold of it. It took quite a bit of pleading to be granted the privilege to read it myself. A privilege I am now sharing with you, Miss Vallière."

"Thank you, Professor."

It was the only thing Louise thought to say. She was really grateful for all the help Colbert had provided her with. She also felt somewhat proud that the man trusted her enough to let her read this valuable lexicon, albeit under supervision. Louise turned back the page to the beginning and got started.

(***)

It was rather disorienting, just thumbing through the lexicon. Each turn of a page, her eyes were assaulted by numerous strange and unfamiliar symbols that she nevertheless tried to digest all at once. Results hadn't been spectacular. Louise was just trying to get an overview of sorts in this manner, when she began noticing something.

Some runes seemed different from the others in a subtle manner. She only realized this when she found her eye unconsciously drawn to a rune in the middle of a page rather than the first rune on said page. Going through the lexicon carefully, she noticed several other runes that stood out to her in this manner. All were unnamed with only a few having an, at best, vague description. When she asked Colbert about it, he surprisingly recognized a few of them from what must be some obscure ritual. He had little to say about them other than to confirm Louise suspicion that they were all very old, most likely dating back to before the Founder. They reminded Louise of the two runes she knew. Reminded her of hiding complicated concepts within just a single symbol. Intrigued, she continued to leaf through the lexicon only to suddenly stop and nearly drop the book from shock.

There. The rune was depicted on the bottom of the page but it might as well have taken up the whole book by itself, it shone so brightly. A star scribed from curved lines with an eye at the center. It spoke to her, whispered to her of mysteries to be unraveled, of secrets to be uncovered.

 _Eye. Insight. Truth._

Louise tore herself away from the page, her breathing a little labored. She quickly regained her calm but a crack in her voice betrayed the tension in her mind, still held just beneath the surface of the sea.

"D-do you know this rune, sir?"

"Hm? Let me have a look." Colbert walked over and looked her over the shoulder. "Ah yes, 'Eye'. One of the Founder's most mysterious runes."

Louise had been so drawn in by the rune itself that she had failed to notice that the rune was unusually labelled with both a name and description. The name given was 'Eye' as Colbert had said with the description simply stating that it was a sacred rune left by the Founder with no other indication of its use.

"I have never seen this rune used directly in any of Brimir's rituals. But if you look closely at the shape, you can see that it is reminiscent of a pentagram. Many believe it is simply a precursor to the runic pentagram used in most post-Brimiric rituals and yet this specific rune was referenced by name in one of the oldest accounts of the Founder's life. Most mysterious. Did it catch your eye?" He winked at her.

"Yes, something like that." Louise answered absentmindedly.

Her mind was far away. To a memory that had seemed so distant yet now appeared much closer, almost within reach. A memory of a sea beyond the sky. Louise excused herself and hurried back to her room.

(***)

Her mind was racing. Feelings of excitement, tension and trepidation all surged within her. She allowed them to. As she paced back and forth in her room, Louise made up her mind. She would ignore Colbert's warning of experimenting with unknown runes. She would throw caution to the wind. This was too important. Yet she was not so far gone as to brazenly engrave the rune on her own flesh. She had a better idea. She had long since noticed that she tended to close her eyes whenever she needed to truly focus on the sea. She had at first believed that she was simply getting rid of visual distractions this way, but she had since learned. Her vision _was_ a distraction. Because it was _wrong_. How could Louise hope to comprehend something so far away if she could not grasp what was just before her eyes? And so, Louise had fashioned a blindfold. A simple piece of white silk cloth that when tied around her eyes, would block out her vision completely. She used it mainly when she was simulating sleep, yet now it would serve a much grander purpose.

Louise retrieved the blindfold as well as pen and ink and then painstakingly wrote down the rune of 'Eye' on it. She easily remembered every stroke, every curve, such was the impression it had left on her. When she was done and _only_ when she was done, did she allow her hands to shake just a little bit. Taking a final deep breath, Louise threw the last bits of caution to the wind, or rather, to the sea, and tied the blindfold around her head, the rune of 'Eye' proudly looking in front her, to guide her where her own eyes could not. As her sight disappeared, Louise finally relaxed again. As the tension left her body, she almost collapsed. She hadn't realized she had gotten quite so worked up. And it would seem it was all for naught. She did not see anything new, she was still blind. Slowly, Louise took off the blindfold. She looked at the 'Eye' again. She hadn't imagined it, she was sure. The rune _had_ talked to her. Even now, when she looked at it she could imagine it whispering.

 _Insight…_

Louise laughed. How could she have been so foolish? She had simply been too hasty. For that which is perceived stems not from what is, but from who is perceiving it. Louise flipped the blindfold over and tied it again, this time, the 'Eye' peering inwards at her forehead and right through to her mind.

And for the third time in her life, Louise was granted sight.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **(***)**

 **Wouldn't quite be a Bloodborne story without someone wearing a blindfold, now would it? Just be glad I didn't make her wear a cage on her head.**

 **This chapter turned out to be much longer that I had anticipated and so got a little delayed. Still, I try to maintain a weekly updating schedule.**

 **With regards to the chapter, there are certain things I'm not entirely happy with. Perhaps too much exposition. If any of you have any ideas for how to improve it, please let me know.**

 **EDIT: I have made some changes from the original, improving the sections of Louise's studying craze and later note revision. Further critique is of course always welcome.**

 **And in that vein, I would like to address some great criticism I got from The Joining. They had two points, a minor and major one. Allow me to address the minor one first.**

 **The point was that calling yourself "Great Deep Sea" is pretty presumptuous when you only have a single feat to your name, surely "Deep Sea" would suffice. Well, we all know why I gave Louise the runic name of Great Deep Sea, but allow me to give an in-character reasoning. In my understanding, runic names are not given (or taken) based upon accomplishments but rather on ability. Thus, the fact that Louise defeated a triangle class mage matters little, it's all about the spell she used. And as remarked by both Osmond and Henrietta, Louise's spell was in a class of its own. Water mages generally aren't known for being offensive power houses, but if they happened to be near a river or in heavy rain or something, then maybe they pull off something destructive like a cyclone or tidal wave. That's not what Louise did. She just summoned a sea to crush her opponent and everything in the vicinity. No sophistication, just power through sheer volume of water. It made a rather big impression on the two of them and so when discussing what runic name to give Louise, Great Deep Sea seemed appropriate. And if the Princess calls you by that name in a public and formal setting, then no one is going to dispute it.**

 **Another thing regarding runic names was my use of the word "of". It was a deliberate choice but I realize now that it was made in error. Runic names are first and foremost names and so should be able to be used in place of another name so "The Great Deep Sea" is the only thing that makes sense and has been corrected in the previous chapter. However, it seems to me that runic names are not actually used as names all that often and instead just used as an extra title by the person themselves whenever they are feeling particularly dramatic. And in those situations, Louise will refer to herself not as "the Great Deep Sea" but " _of_ The Great Deep Sea" since she considers the latter to be a significantly more powerful statement.**

 **That was The Joining's minor point. Their more major point was that "too many things happened" per chapter. This sort of pacing issue probably springs from my inexperience as an author but I have no idea how to fix it. When I set out to write a scene, I always keep in mind what said scene is supposed to accomplish. Whether that be moving the plot forward, letting Louise learn something new or just establish/expand characterization. I don't like "filler" content for the sake of it. However, this practice of mine usually means that a lot of important things happen each chapter, which I don't consider to be a bad thing. However, what I've tried in this chapter and is definitely something I will continue with going forward is to better convey to the reader the time frame in which things happen. Currently, Louise has all the time in the world but that may not always be the case. And if so, then she can't just read books for two weeks. I also decided to insert an interlude of sorts between Louise's studying to give more weight to the conclusion and not just have an entire chapter about runes. As a result, the planned duel with Kirche was moved forward but what i hadn't planned was the whole scene with Montmorency which just sort of happened. Beyond just stealing another plotline from the light novels for the hell of it, it provided an unexpectedly good tie in to some later scenes that I actually _had_ planned, so I'm quite happy with it. In the end, making me think about how to space developments out a little no doubt made this a better chapter than it would have been otherwise, so thanks again to The Joining, may the collective continue to prosper.**

 **This author's note really became way too long. Let that be a lesson to those who would criticize me - I might just respond! An apology to those who thought there would be more content waiting for them, only to be met with a wall of text filled with my ramblings. But in a way, this entire story is just a collection of my ramblings, so what'd you expect. See you next week!**


	8. Have Audience with Foul Spirit

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Eight: Have Audience with Foul Spirit but pitiful, really**

It was like a veil that had obscured her vision since forever was finally removed. Only to be replaced with a different veil. That was the closet metaphor Louise could think of to describe what she was seeing. And indeed, 'seeing' was without a doubt what she was currently doing. And yet it was different. Objects seemed non-congruent with their supposed shapes. Louise noticed the outline of the chair she had just been sitting on was bleeding on to what she assumed was the floor. Turning her head to where she knew her bed was, she saw only a slim, closed curve that still somehow vaguely belied the existence of a solid beneath. The ceiling seemed to stretch on without end in sight, and looking around, Louise was unable to locate the door to her room, nor the window. There was no present light source she could spot and yet the room looked to be lit by an omnipresent blue hue. All in all, it was a maddening experience that could only inspire, if not madness then surely nausea, were it not for one little thing. One minor, little, all-important detail.

Louise could see water. It was all around her flowing as clearly as she could remember. She could feel it too, of course. Its presence had been with her for what seemed like so long now, that she considered it an inseparable part of her. And now, just as she had wished, she could see it. With a joyous laugh, Louise called out to the surrounding waters. They responded, as they always did, but Louise noticed something new. Previously, she had only been able to properly see the waters once they materialized, perception being left to other senses. Yet now, she could see the still unmaterialized waters respond to her call. The way they moved towards her, gradually approached her, Louise could only think of the waters as acting curiously towards her. Was she being judged? She would not be found wanting! Louise straightened her posture, focusing all her minds on the waters which had by now completely encircled her. It was easier than ever, how could she think of anything else? So Louise simply stood there, patiently waiting for something to happen. And happen, things did. Louise noted the subtle change from what she would call 'curiosity' to 'acceptance'. Then suddenly, the waters enveloped her completely. Louise did not flinch, nor did she fear, she only let it happen. For a brief moment, it was exactly like being back in the dream. Louise did not realize how much she had missed it until this moment. Just as quickly, the moment passed and the waters materialized just like Louise had asked them to. Louise noted with interest how they changed from real to real, the process now visible to her. Her observation was cut short by a coughing fit that made Louise fall to her knees. Somehow, she must have imbibed some of the waters without realizing it. Louise tore off the blindfold, no longer being able to keep up with the bizarre surroundings, as she coughed her lungs out.

When it was over, Louise lay on the floor heaving slightly. She felt exhausted, she had a tremendous headache and her room was completely flooded, yet Louise had scarcely been happier in her whole life. She had been found worthy.

(***)

The academy maids had been surprisingly understanding once she had called them and explained the flooded state of her room due to her "experiments". They were now, presumably, hard at work trying to salvage her room and make it inhabitable again. For the time being, Louise had retreated to the library once more. Luckily, her notes had not gotten wet and it wasn't like she would need a place to lie down and sleep, at least not necessarily. All in all, it was only a minor hassle to Louise, who had much more important things on her mind.

Her headache had only marginally subsided, reminding Louise of the frailty of her own mind. Thinking back on what had transpired, she was torn between immense pride and slight disappointment. Some weeks ago, she had sworn that she would once more gaze upon the sea and now she had taken her first palpable step towards her goal, at a pace much faster than she had expected. She should feel nothing but pride and yet there was just that tinge of disappointment. Her vision had been so short. Louise sincerely doubted that the true form of reality was like that fever dream she had envisioned. Either, there was something not quite right with the 'Eye' rune, she had not used it properly or she had simply not been able to fully comprehend what she had been seeing. Louise thought all explanations were plausible but considered the last one to have been a deciding factor regardless of other causes. What would have happened had she not been in her room, but beneath the sky? Rubbing her hands against her aching temples, Louise shuddered.

Louise had not allowed the pain to go away, instead she welcomed it, embraced it, to keep her in check. She had done it again, been reckless to a fault and done exactly what Colbert had firmly warned her against: Experimented with unknown runes. This time, she had gotten away with only a headache, but next time there might be more serious consequences. Oh, and there would be a next time. All the headaches in the world would not have been enough to dissuade Louise from attempting to gain sight. Instead, she was just barely held back. It was the reason why shad not just ignored the pain; Louise did not trust herself to not immediately put on the blindfold again were she to 'recover' from the previous backlash. She would be patient for now, allow the headache to subside naturally and _then_ run to Osmond and tell him that she had an experiment she wanted to try out. She would probably also have to wait for the morning. Begrudgingly, Louise made herself comfortable in the empty library and went to 'sleep'.

(***)

She was roused by a slap across her cheek. The stinging sensation brought her attention back to the present. Turning her eyes up, she saw Kirche looming over her, both hands on her hips and a pleased smile on her face.

"See? Told you that'd wake her up."

Louise blinked a few times just to ensure that what she was seeing was actually real. Having convinced herself, she mustered up a tone with just the right combination of sourly grumpiness and resignation.

"Good morning."

At least she hoped it was morning. She wasn't supposed to lose track of time like this. Had she somehow drifted off to sleep in the end? No, Louise was sure that she would be able to remember dreaming were that the case. Had she been completely lost in thought? She couldn't remember thinking of anything in particular. Perhaps she _had_ spotted Kirche approaching her but had just subconsciously tuned her out. Louise decided that that was the most likely explanation. She rose from her seated position with a bit less vigor than her usual but luckily with _much_ less stiffness in her legs than sitting still for an entire night usually allowed for. Spreading her arms wide, Louise addressed the redhead.

"So, what brings you to my abode?"

"Nothing, actually, I was just accompanying Tabby." Kirche took a step back and pointed to a table where, sure enough, Tabitha sat reading. "But you see, these two wanted a word with you. However, seeing as you were…unavailable they required my expertise in getting your attention. Which brings us to the now."

"So, in essence, you saw me resting peacefully and then went over to slap me."

It was not a question, rather it was an accusation. Louise rubbed her cheek for emphasis. It had long since stopped hurting, of course. _Or had it?_ She suddenly considered. She had just tuned out the pain immediately. But was not _feeling_ the pain the same as not _being_ in pain, was pain a sensation separate from her perception of it? It was a fascinating question. So fascinating in fact, that it almost distracted Louise from noticing that Kirche had approached again, hand in a slap-ready pose.

"Don't you dare."

Kirche quickly retreated, suddenly the very image in innocence. "I was just looking out for your health, my dear. Wouldn't want you falling asleep in the library again."

"I was resting, not sleeping." Louise insisted. The subtle difference seemed entirely lost on her audience. "And, don't you have other places to be, Zerbst? I can't imagine a library having much to hold your interest." Louse emphasized her point with a 'shooing' motion of her hands. "Besides, I do believe that there are other people vying for my attention."

Louse finally turned to address the pair who supposedly had tried to seek her out from the start. It was none other than Montmorency and her fiancé Guiche. Louise noted that the blonde girl looked noticeably better off than when she last saw the pair, her hair once more styled in her signature drills. She also shifted between giving her slightly guilty looks and narrowing her eyes at Kirche, something which gave Louise a much better disposition regarding the girl already. Guiche, too, looked different from when Louise last saw him. He appeared neither the maddened, love-crazed man who had pursued Montmorency relentlessly, nor the slightly less maddened, slightly less love-crazed boy which had but looked at her once and found the love of his life. Instead, his posture and look gave off what Louise thought was supposed to be a determined demeanor, only slightly ruined by the longing glances he would cast at Montmorency every other second.

"So, you wanted a word with me?" Louise asked Montmorency, thinking her to be the saner of the two.

"Yes, that is right. Is there perhaps somewhere more private where we may speak?"

Louse looked around the library. It seemed pretty empty.

"Why not just talk here?"

Surprisingly, Montmorency shook her head determinedly. "This place will not do. You can never tell just who might be listening in. Please, will you perhaps invite us to your room?"

This time it was Louise's turn to shake her head. "Unfortunately, my room is unavailable at the moment. Partial flooding, you see." Louise saw no real reason to lie about it. "Perhaps we can use your room?"

"No!" Montmorency declared before hurriedly continuing. "My room is similarly…unavailable. As is regrettably the case with my Guiche's room. I suppose we will have to make do with this place". She finished with a dejected sigh.

Louise thought that all sounded rather suspicious but nodded along regardless. She was getting curious, now.

(***)

After scouring the library in an assuredly not subtle manner, they eventually came upon a secluded spot, a small corner with a table and a few chairs, surrounded by bookcases. Louise thought that if there had not already been nosey people trying to eavesdrop on their conversation before, they would be here now, considering Montmorency had just spent almost half an hour stomping about the library lamenting about the lack of any spots which were suitably 'private' for her. Louise didn't really care either way, so she neglected to mention any of this to the pair and instead just sat down around the small table.

"Now then. What matter warrants such secrecy?"

Montmorency gave a few suspicious looks to each side before answering.

"It is my Guiche. You remember his previous…condition, yes?" She shuddered slightly at the memory before Guiche place his hand on her shoulder and prompted her to continue. "He has been…regressing".

At that point, Montmorency sniffled slightly causing Guiche to take on the task of elaborating.

"I can't help it." He proclaimed. "I love her so much that it is consuming me! I try to hold back, for the sake of my beloved, but I fear that my passions may soon get the better of me. I can't allow that to happen!"

After delivering his speech, Guiche too, seemed to be at his wits end as he sought comfort in Montmorency's arms the two whispering to each other. Louise was not moved by the display. Nor was she particularly amused. These two really had a flair for the melodramatic that was quickly getting on her nerves. Their raw, unadulterated, excessive displays of emotions seemed somehow unreal to her. Louise couldn't entirely understand it. She understood the idea or romantic love, of course, albeit only in the abstract since she had never been in love herself, yet what she was witnessing seemed so different, so over the top that it actually made Louise doubt its authenticity. With a sigh, she dismissed her thoughts and addressed the pair still lost in each other's arms.

"I see. Then, do you need me to cast the calming spell again?"

Finally turning her attention back, Montmorency answered.

"Not exactly. You see, I am a water mage, my specialty being potion making. I believe I have found a recipe to a potion to help my Guiche, yet I lack the reagents. Together, we will journey to the great Lagdorian Lake to gather these. However, if his current state was to deteriorate then I would fear for my safety. So we would ask you to travel with us, so that you can cast your spell again should it prove necessary."

Louise quickly suppressed an incredulous look in favor of directing a more searching gaze at Montmorency. Did that girl just ask her to act as little more than a magic dispenser that they could bring along with them and use at their own convenience with a straight face? Yes, yes she did. Turning her look to Guiche, she found a similar lack of shame at the audacity of their 'request'. Louise wanted to give a one-word refusal and then just leave, seeing as she actually had much more important things to do but was tempted away from this course of action by the desire to know just far these two had been thinking.

"What is in it for me?" she asked instead.

Montmorency paused momentary, apparently not having expected that question. Louise suppressed a sigh.

"W-why you would gain the gratitude of House Montmorency and House Gramont, of course! And if needed, we would of course be willing to recompense you for your services."

Were they trying to buy her off now? A chuckle escaped Louise's lips. She supposed that outrage was the correct response in this situation, seeing as her own house of La Vallière was of higher rank than either of theirs, being a Ducal House, but she decided to ignore the faux pas.

"I see. What is it exactly you need from the Lagdorian Lake?"

This was the only part of the story Louise was missing. Once she had this detail, her curiosity would be sated and she could refuse to accompany them without regrets.

"Oh, so you agree to come with us? Good, I suppose I can tell you then." Montmorency managed to misinterpret the question spectacularly. "The lake is inhabited by a water spirit, you see. A powerful one. If I can acquire one of its tears, then I can brew a potion to help my Guiche."

Louise was about to ask the girl why she thought trying to get help from the notoriously unfriendly spirits of all things was a good idea, but the blonde went on.

"My family has a pact with it, so it is bound to answer my summons."

 _Leaving out only the bargaining part_. Louise didn't know much about spirits but they were well regarded as being both hostile towards humans and incredibly stingy. Many a tale had been spun about incurring the wrath of spirits through mundane acts such as felling a tree, drinking water or starting a fire in an area a spirit considered 'theirs'. Louise doubted the authenticity of said stories seeing as they were old wives' tales used to frighten children, but reasoned that they must have stemmed from some nugget of truth. And yet, despite this, Louise suddenly found herself interested in the endeavor.

"I will agree to accompany you in the journey to the Lagdorian Lake and to utilize my magical expertise should such be warranted. However, I have one condition."

"Name it!" Guiche suddenly answered excitedly.

"I want to speak with the water spirit, first." Louise responded calmly.

Guiche had evidently not expected that and looked to Montmorency who seemed similarly baffled.

"I…suppose that I can accept that" she answered hesitantly. "Just be sure to be courteous towards it. We need to convince it to give us one of its tear, after all."

Louise nodded. "Good. When do we leave then?"

"We leave tomorrow at dawn!" came Guiche's response. Louise had little doubt that the moment was chosen for dramatic purposes rather than practical concerns. "On horseback, it should not take us longer than two days to get there, assuming the weather holds up."

A total of four days potentially wasted wasn't that bad. Louise nodded approvingly. The truth was that she was actually feeling a little excited. Having a chance to converse with a water spirit might prove a boon to her. Surely, a being so intimately connected with water would understand her? Louise found herself looking forward to the trip (a two day ride back-and-forth could hardly be called a 'journey') despite having to endure the company of Montmorency and Guiche.

She hurriedly said farewells and made to leave. She would need to gear up for the trip and secure herself a horse from the academy stables. She might need to get some rope also, just in case. But before all of that, she would need to go talk with Osmond. She didn't just want to see the water spirit. She wanted to _see_ it.

(***)

"An experiment using one of the Founder's runes, you say? Interesting. I will call for Colbert, he will probably want to see this also."

Osmond had been nothing but forthcoming when she had approached him saying that she had something related to void magic she wished to try out. She had been led to a room in the academy that she previously had not known existed. Behind a heavy door unlocked with a key that Osmond brought with him, was a somewhat small square room, completely unfurnished and with just cold, stone walls to greet them. The only light source was the candle Osmond had also brought with him. As they entered the room, Louise noted symbols engraved on the walls.

"It is warded to limit to prevent the effects of spells from reaching the outside." Osmond explained. "Other teachers here and the occasional student is allowed the use of this room to practice particularly volatile spells. It should do just fine for our purposes. Assuming you don't plan to drown us all, of course." He finished cheerfully.

"Not at the moment, no." Louise confirmed, deadpan. There probably wasn't enough water present, anyway. "Although I can't ensure that there won't be any unintended side effects." She continued. Louise felt that she should warn them, just in case.

"Oh, you need not worry about that." Osmond answered easily. "What you call 'unintended side effects' are an inseparable part of any research progress. We will be here to ensure that you do not cause harm to the room or, more importantly to yourself."

At this moment, the stone drop opened again revealing the figure of Colbert.

"Greetings, Headmaster, Miss Valliére. Are we performing an experiment today?"

Louise nodded to confirm.

"Yes. I believe I have discovered a possible use for the rune of 'Eye' in a way related to void magic."

"Really, now? Fascinating. What do you believe its intended purpose to be?"

Louise paused to consider here words carefully.

"I believe it aids a void mage in visualizing their magic. I can't speak more of it, it was just a feeling I got from studying the rune."

"Many a discovery has been made from just a hunch." Osmond weighed in. "You were right to approach us immediately rather than attempting further research by yourself. Diving into the unknown can be dangerous."

Louis expertly suppressed a guilty expression from overtaking her face but chose not to suppress the accompanying guilty feelings. She was guilty, after all.

"The Headmaster is right, but I believe her to have grasped this point by now. Regardless, how do you plan to test your hypothesis, Miss Vallière?" Colbert asked.

Louise gladly allowed herself to be distracted by the question.

"I am not entirely sure about how the rune was intended to be used, however, I have come up with a safe way of testing it." Louise withdrew her blindfold from a pocket in her uniform. "I have engraved the rune unto this cloth which I will then simply wear to see what happens."

Colbert did not approve.

"Involving yourself in an experiment of an unknown rune like this is the exact opposite of safe, Miss Vallière. But, I suppose that if the rune does indeed work as you suspect, then there is no other way of testing it. Still, I will examine the rune, if you don't mind."

Louise handed the blindfold to Colbert who then withdrew his wand and pointed it at the cloth.

"Detect Magic."

A small pause followed.

"Hm, the rune is drawn correctly but the cloth does not seem to possess any innate magic. Occasionally, when a rune is engraved upon an object, the object will incorporate the rune's properties into its own. A process known as enchantment. Any such enchanted object is also called an artifact. These can be particularly dangerous to experiment with, but such does not seem to be the case here. Perhaps, it is safe after all."

Colbert then handed the blindfold to Osmond who cast a similar detection spell. The Headmaster must have arrived at the same conclusion as he quickly handed the blindfold back to Louise.

"Indeed, this cloth seems positively mundane. I will allow for the experiment to go through. We will simply be here to observe you, Miss Valliére, ready to step in should something occur. You just have to say the word. Otherwise, I suppose we shall pause the experiment regardless once five minutes have passed."

Louise liked the sound of that. Unless she accidently materialized some more water, there should be no indication of what she was experiencing. And having a time limit was probably a good idea, too. She had no idea how long she had kept the blindfold on during her first attempt at sight, but it had been for too long if the resulting headache was anything to go by. Louise took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself. Then, she put on the blindfold and once more opened her Eye.

(***)

The surroundings appeared stranger than she remembered, her memories proving incapable of fully retaining the bizarre nature of how the world around her looked. Louise unsuccessfully attempted to mentally close her eyes to shut it out. She didn't need to be reminded of how the square room was actually circular or how one wall ran parallel to the ceiling or how th- wait, was that a person? That couldn't be either Osmond or Colbert, it looked akin to a…

"No!"

Louise spoke out loud to distract herself. She quickly thought about how the two men in the room with her might react to such an outburst and raised her hand in an 'everything is fine' manner. Louise took another deep breath and finally managed to tear her attention away from the room itself in order to focus on the only redeemable aspect of this mess: The presence of water.

She saw it again, gently flowing all around the room, guided by unseen currents. She wanted to call out to the waters but held herself back. Previously, they waters had 'noticed' her when she reached for them. This time, she would just observe. She thought back to her distress just moments prior, how her warped perception had disturbed her so. She imagined no longer being disturbed by such sights, imagined what it would be like to gaze at the surroundings unperturbed. She could see it now, how the unrealized sensations flew from her and into the water, poisoning it, tainting its purity. And yet the sea accepted all, incorporating the foreign substance into itself before making it nothing.

 _How noble…_

(***)

Louise was once more subject to a rude awakening of sorts as the blindfold was removed from her head. Surprised and thoroughly disoriented, she glanced wildly around the room before remembering where she was and who she was with.

"Everything all right, Miss Vallière?"

The voice could belong to either Osmond or Colbert, Louise wasn't quite sure.

"Yes." She answered regardless. "Was just feeling a tad of nausea. It is wearing off as we speak."

Indeed, Louise was quickly coming to her senses. No doubt aided by surroundings that actually made sense again.

"What happened, has it been five minutes?"

As usual, her perception of time had been sacrificed on the altar of research.

"It has." The voice Louise now recognized as belonging to Colbert confirmed. "Almost as soon you put the cloth over your eyes, you yelled 'No' but motioned with your hand to prevent us from interfering. For the remaining time, you've just been staring at a wall with a smile on your face."

That sounded about right. Placing a hand on her face Louise discovered that her features were indeed still locked in a grand smile. She gave off a laugh at that.

"I take it then, that the experiment was successful?" Colbert asked, a not unkind smile on his face.

Finally regaining control of her facial features, Louise answered.

"In a way, yes. It certainly did _something_ but it wasn't exactly like I expected. Still, I wish to practice this some more."

"Before that, I would like to know what happened on your end."

Louise nodded but took some time to consider her words.

"Well, as you might know, most of my spells relate to water in some manner or other." All of them, in fact. "Specifically, I'm really good at conjuring or summoning water. When I wear the blindfold I can sort of make out where the water is, making summoning easier. The only unexpected part is that surrounding look really odd. Somewhat disturbing, but I just need to learn to ignore it. Apologies if this all sounds a little vague."

"Some runes are known to have subtle effects like that." Colbert said sagely.

The experience wasn't really what Louise would call 'subtle' at all, but she supposed that two an outside observer it might sound like the Eye only served to engage her imagination.

"Do you believe this rune to be directly connected to void magic, Miss Valliére?" Colbert suddenly asked.

"I'm not sure but I consider it to be likely."

Louise had started to develop her own theory on the nature of the Void. And if she was right, then the usage of this rune could be considered to a void mage what a wand is to a regular mage.

"In that case, I would like to try out the experiment for myself, if you don't mind."

Judging from his tone, his curiosity had been stoked. Seeing no real reason to refuse, she handed him the blindfold. He turned it around in his hands once more, examining it anew.

"Are you sure that when worn the 'Eye' should not point outwards?"

"Positive." She replied. ¨

She didn't expand on _why_ she was positive but Colbert must have taken her word for it as he just nodded and walked into the center of the room, blindfold in hand.

"We shall use the same setup then. You get five minutes, Colbert." Osmond spoke up. "Miss Vallière, please stand back just in case."

"Of course."

Louise took a step back and watched in fascination as Colbert put on the blindfold. She really had no idea as to what would happen. Any worries not drowned out would have proven themselves to be ill-founded as, after putting on the blindfold, Colbert just looked around the room from various angles. After what she presumed to have been five minutes had passed, the Headmaster went and lightly tapped his shoulder. The man reacted immediately, taking off the blindfold and turning to face them, a small frown on his face.

"I didn't see anything like you described, Miss Vallière. As a matter of fact, I didn't see anything at all." The smile then returned in full force. "To think that this rune is so intimately connected to the Void. Fascinating! That certainly explains why its effect have never been properly documented. A remarkable discovery, Miss Vallière!"

Louise felt just a hint of pride at that.

"Then, can I continue to practice?"

(***)

She tried three more times before the headache kicked in again, prompting Louise to stop. She was also feeling a bit mentally exhausted. They had only been in the room for something resembling half an hour but to Louise it felt like a much longer amount of time had passed. She still hadn't gotten used to how the world looked and doubted she would anytime soon. So instead, she had practiced to completely ignore her surroundings and just focus on what was right in front of her. Her experience in simulating sleep came in handy for this and Louise had mentally congratulated herself for coming up with the idea. She had not been entirely successful, her headache a clear proof of that, but she had managed to make _some_ progress. Still, it was a temporary measure until she could figure out if there was a better way to use 'Eye'. She hoped it would be enough to allow her to get a proper look at the water spirit when she met it. And that she would retain sufficient clarity to actually have a conversation with it. She thought her mind had drifted off a little more than usual lately. Most likely she was getting a little scatterbrained from all the things she had been doing lately. In that way, the trip to Lake Lagdoria might provide just the breathing room she needed. Speaking of, she still needed to pack. Thanking Osmond and Colbert for supervising her, she returned to her room.

It seemed that what could be done, had been done as there were no longer any academy personnel present. The floor was still a little damp, as was most of the furniture including the bed but luckily her wardrobe had protected her clothes. Besides some clean clothes, Louise wasn't sure what to pack. She had never been on a trip like this before without being accompanied by at least a few servants who would handle all the practical matters. Would they need to sleep underneath the open sky? She didn't have a bed roll so she just packed a dry blanket. She doubted she would be sleeping anyway. What about food? Pondering the degree to which Montmorency and Guiche had planned ahead for the trip, Louise quickly made the decision to go the academy kitchen and stock up on some provisions.

Having finished her packing Louise went to the stables in order to secure a horse. The academy freely offered the use of their horses to the nobles, so it was just a matter of making sure to reserve one. Louise had always liked riding, and yet it had been a while since she had last done so. She picked out a somewhat small mare which seemed friendly enough. With this, the last of her preparations were done, leaving Louise with little to do. By now, it was late afternoon with dinner being served in a few hours. Louise had planned to go to the library and possibly read up a little regarding spirits but ultimately decided against it. She would just let her mind rest for the time being. She passed the remaining hours of the day by just quietly contemplating the trip ahead.

(***)

The following day, Louise rose exactly at dawn. She did a final check of the contents of her pack; she seemed to have everything. Or, at the very least, if she had forgotten anything it would be due to forgetfulness and not negligence. Breakfast wasn't served at this hour, so Louise instead went to the kitchens directly to grab something to eat. On her way there she ran into Montmorency and Guiche who seemed to have gotten the same idea.

"Good Morning." Louise greeted the pair. "Have you finished your preparations?"

"Of course!" came Guiche's thundering response. "Today is the day ride into the unknown! A quest to seek an ancient spirit! All for the sake of my beloved!" he continued in a voice much too loud for how early in the morning it was.

"I see, that is good. Then, shall we depart?"

Louise carefully kept her tone neutral. The pair was already getting on her nerves. Fortunately, she could just let all of her irritation drift towards the sea. Otherwise, she would have begun to strongly reconsider going on this trip in the first place. But as it was, Louise was only bothered in the abstract sense of being bothered about needing to suppress being bothered, and so led the pair towards the stables. When they arrived, they found someone waiting for them. Louise sighed internally. She had expected something like this but hoped that her cynicism would prove to be unfounded. Of course, reality had a certain way of spitting in the face of such hopes. For what awaited them was not the stable hand with their horses ready, no, it was something much more sinister. It was the Red Menace.

"Heard you were planning an adventure like I wouldn't find out!" Kirche had a wide grin on her face and in general seemed enormously pleased with herself.

"Zerbst! What are you doing here?" Montmorency exclaimed, sounding vaguely offended.

Louise gladly allowed Montmorency to take on the most likely futile task of talking down Kirche and instead addressed the redhead's companion.

"Et tu, Tabitha?"

"Adventure." The small girl confirmed in her usual monotone.

"It can hardly be called an adventure." Louise tried to reason. "It's more like a leisure trip."

"And that's where you're wrong!" Kirche suddenly broke in, completely ignoring whatever Montmorency was trying to say to her. "It's an adventure when you want it to be. _Life's_ an adventure when you want it to be!"

"Very inspiring." Louise commented. Tabitha nodded in agreement, apparently not noticing the sarcasm. "But if that's the case, why don't you go 'adventure' into a hovel or something."

"Oh, but it is all for the sake of you! You see, the roads are ever perilous, fraught with dangers! In a party of just three, with tw- a beautiful girl in it, who knows what threats you may face. But fret not! Tabitha and I have selflessly decided to travel with you and to ensure that no harm comes to any beautiful girls!"

Kirche finished her exclamation by striking a dramatic pose, in contrast to Tabitha, who didn't move. Guiche appeared to have eaten it up as he appeared terrified by what calamities might befall his beloved. Louise herself was at least somewhat impressed by Kirche's delivery, but Montmorency seemed to have none of it.

"Neither of you will be coming along and that's final! Vallière, you're her friend, talk her out of it."

Louise and Kirche simultaneously directed looks of scorn towards Montmorency at the accusation before snorting in unison. Louise then looked into Kirche's eyes. She recognized that look of stubbornness, daring her to try and talk her out of it. Louise instead chuckled slightly before addressing Montmorency, a resigned smile on her face.

"I'm afraid there's no stopping her once she gets like that. Kirche has always had a remarkable persistence to her."

Louise paused, thinking of a suitable comparison while Kirche nodded in confirmation of the given description.

"...like a rash that won't go away."

In fact, now that she thought about it, a rash was also red. Coincidence?

"Besides," Louise continued before Kirche could get a word in. "While I don't know the state of the roads, I do know that both Tabitha and Kirche are capable fighters. That they will ensure our safety is not just empty boasting."

Well, she didn't actually _know_ Tabitha to be a capable fighter it was more of an assumption. One, she was really sure of. Almost an axiom, really.

"So, in short, they're coming with us whether we want to or not, might as well just let them protect us."

"Yes, that sounds just about right." Kirche said, the grin returning to her face. "Wouldn't you agree, Tabitha?"

The bluette responded immediately.

"Adventure."

(***)

They had been riding for the better part of half a day now. Tabitha had brought a horse but quickly left Kirche to drag to it along with them in favor of taking to the skies with her dragon. 'Scouting', she had claimed, although Louise personally thought it more likely that she had just wanted to get away from Montmorency and Guiche in order to get some peace and quiet. Louise couldn't blame her, the pair was being insufferable, once again. She couldn't really blame _them_ either, she supposed. No doubt that this was a trying time for the two as well as their relationship. If only they weren't being so melodramatic about it, she might even have some sympathy for them. As such, Louise had just taken to ignoring everyone around her, little different from usual. Instead, she had focused on riding and the scenery. The wide road running intertwined between lush springtime plains held no particularly interesting sights save for the odd patch of blooming wildflowers. Once that had gotten old, it left Louise to only try to enjoy the sensation of riding. She did too, it had been a while after all. Yet, riding, especially on flat ground at a pace barely more than a trot, had a certain cyclical rhythm to it that made it difficult to not zone out. And so, Louise found it more and more difficult to suppress a certain desire which had been building ever since morning. She shook her head, trying to dismiss it form her mind. She dared not cast it to the sea and so she needed a series of more mundane distractions to keep her occupied. Of which she had now nearly run dry. It was necessary to employ her trump card.

"So, Kirche," she began, matching her pace to the redhead's. "What made you two _really_ want to join us?"

Beyond serving as a distraction, Louise had genuinely been curious about this. She noticed that as soon as they left the academy, Kirche had been oddly serious. She rode expertly with one hand on the bridle of her horse the other on the bridle of Tabitha's. And her eyes were scanning the sides of the road with a trained look. Nevertheless, she focused some of her attention on Louse once she had processed the question.

"Believe me, it's really all for your sake." She said in a not joking tone for once, gesturing both towards Louise as well as Montmorency and Guiche who were riding together a little ahead of them. "Have you heard about the Gryson bandits?"

The name held no significance to Louise and so she shook her head.

"Figures. You really need to get out of the library more, you know. Or, maybe just stay there forever. The real world's a hard place, you know." Kirche admonished her before finishing with a weak laugh.

Louise frowned. "And I presume that at least part of said hardness is due to these 'Gryson' fellows?"

Kirche nodded. "Recently, there's been many tales of travelers around these parts being robbed by bandits. Even a few caravans with guards have been ambushed. The few survivors spoke of a particularly savage man calling himself Gryson leading the attacks." Louise noted that Kirche spoke the name with a great deal of distaste. "Tabitha and I have been trying to hunt them for a while, now."

That surprised Louise. "The two of you hunt bandits in your free time?"

"Among other things. We both share an adventurer's spirit, after all!" Kirche declared with a prideful smile. "But tracking these particular bastards down have proven difficult". She continued, the smile now gone.

Something clicked within Louise.

"Ahh, so that's why. You're using us as bait."

Louise could very well have spoken this accusation with a good deal of outrage but she instead simply stated it neutrally, as nothing more than an observation.

"Must you be so skeptical of my every action?" Kirche asked, ushering a dramatic sigh. "Those two," she paused to point at Montmorency and Guiche, "were going on this little trip regardless. And even with you here, none of you are experienced enough to defend yourselves against an ambush. You properly hadn't even thought of the possibility, had you?"

Louise shook her head again. She honestly hadn't.

"Which is why we decided to tag along. There's a very real risk of the Gryson bandits attacking an obvious party of nobles like this. Especially one that appears to be unguarded. Should they attack, however, we will protect you and take them down for good!"

Louise nodded to herself. A subtle, pragmatic, but ultimately well-meaning approach. Louise thought she could sense Tabitha's influence at work. Still, credit where credit was due.

"I see. Then, on behalf of the rest of the party, allow me to gratefully accept your assistance."

Kirche seemed to not have expected this response at all, if the look she gave Louise was anything to go by.

"What's the matter, little Louise?" She sounded genuinely concerned. "Did the stories of bad bandits scare you that badly? Don't worry, you're safe with me!"

Kirche looked at her with a strange smile. Like she was trying to reassure a little kid. Louise could only sigh.

"You have a remarkable talent of losing goodwill as fast as you can build it up." She responded dryly. "Though, if you will humor me for a moment, _how_ exactly do you plan on keeping us safe? I didn't think you had any defensive spells in your arsenal."

"Defense is so overrated." Kirche lamented. "The best defense is a good offense, as they say!"

 _What a terrible attitude for a supposed guard to have._

Kirche went on to give a proper explanation. "Tabitha is flying overhead to scout for enemies. With luck, she'll see them long before they see us. Then, she'll signal me and we'll launch a preemptive strike."

"And what if she _doesn't_ see them coming?" Louise asked the obvious question.

"She will." Kirche answered with a certain conviction in her voice. "But if worst comes to worst, just try to group together, Tabitha knows some good shield spells." She finished with a shrug.

It was a rather simple plan, Louise thought. But sometimes, simple might be better. She separated from Kirche and resumed riding in the middle of the party. Louise didn't doubt Tabitha's abilities, especially when Kirche seemed to have so much faith in them, yet she couldn't help but glance from side to side on the lookout for bandits. She deliberately chose not to suppress this small fit of paranoia. At least it gave her something to do.

(***)

When evening fell, they made camp. Or that is, Kirche and Tabitha made camp with experienced ease. They even had a small tent for two people with them, which they altruistically offered Montmorency and Guiche the use of. They also offered Louise a spare bed roll, seeing how she had only brought a blanket, but Louise declined stating that a blanket was sufficient.

With Kirche present, making a fire was not an issue, and the four of them sat together around the fire having a meal while Tabitha's dragon Sylphid tirelessly kept watch from the skies. No conversations were being had, but the mood was still pleasant enough. It would appear that Montmorency had warmed up to the last minute additions to their party once it came to light exactly how well prepared for just about everything the two seemed.

Eventually, once darkness properly settled, Sylphid landed and approached the camp. It was then that Louise noticed that the dragon was not alone, a certain salamander trod along with it.

"Sylphid's been ferrying Flame since he can't really keep up with a horse." Kirche explained.

The salamander in question huffed slightly, seemingly a bit insulted at being looked down upon. Kirche began patting it affectionately.

"However, Flame has the amazing ability to see or otherwise sense heat from far away. So we can all sleep soundly. With him keeping guard, nothing will be able to sneak up on us during the night. Isn't that right, my dear?"

Flame responded by breathing a flame that contorted into a hand giving what resembled a military salute. With that, both Tabitha and Kirche visibly relaxed and dropped most of their guard in favor of tending to her dragon in Tabitha's case or just lounging around the fire in Kirche's. Montmorency and Guiche too picked up on the mood and began further relaxing. Eventually the all sat around the fire again and the customary swapping of stories began. Even Tabitha anticipated and fun was had by all. Except Louise. She was currently in the middle of going crazy.

She looked towards the sky again for the hundredth time that day. It was right there. The great sea in the sky, whose presence she could sense, but whose view eluded her. It was _right there_. And now, she had the means to see it. She knew that she shouldn't, that she wasn't ready yet but the temptation had been building every moment she had been beneath the open sky. She was running out of ways to distract herself from the desire to just put on the blindfold and gaze at the sky, consequences be damned. What was the worst thing that could happen, really? Thinking about it, without any scenery to get into the way, it should be rather safe in fact. She would just take a short peek, then pull the blindfold off again. Finally coming to the conclusion that she was silly for worrying over something that was so obviously safe, Louise decided to just go through with it and retrieved her blanket before finding and nice spot where she could lie down and have an unobstructed view of the sky. She put on the blindfold.

For a single brilliant moment in time, Louise saw the sea of her dreams. She knew it to be far away, but just then, it had seemed so close. Looming just over her head, as if calling her. When consciousness left her, she had a smile on her face.

(***)

When Louise opened her eyes, there was water all around her. There was no doubt about it, she was back in the dream. _But how?_ Louise had a bad feeling about it. She had probably passed out again. After all, that was how she had arrived here originally. Now that she thought about it, hadn't she then also caught the briefest glance of the sea? Louise began laughing loudly to herself. She had done it again; looked at something she was not yet ready to see, to understand in full. Still laughing, she shook her head in disbelief of her own arrogance. She had _actually_ thought it would safe, deluded herself into thinking that she could just take a peek. At least she hadn't screamed her throat out this time. At least, hopefully not. That would probably not go over well with her travelling companions. Louise giggled again.

She just couldn't help it. Abashment at her own conceit. Dejection for her failure. No such feelings were present, instead she felt nothing but elation. To return to this place, to Louise, it was a dream come true in the most literal sense. She knew she couldn't stay here for long if she wanted to wake at a reasonable time yet she didn't want to leave just yet. She would take just a little time to celebrate her return from exile. That her return wasn't exactly triumphant, not even deliberate really, and that her exile was self-imposed didn't matter. She gathered all her feelings and imbued them in her words. The simplest, yet most fitting words she could think of.

"I'm home."

She saw her words ripple across the surface of the ocean, another drop in the bottomless depths. But, to her surprise, they did not sink to the bottom, did not disappear with the rest. The small ripples grew in size and became waves. Strong currents formed, pulling the waves inwards. Louise rose from her prone position and stood on the surface watching the spectacle with great interest and curiosity.

Curiosity turned to amazement and then to awe as she saw the waters converge, beginning to spiral upwards, beginning to take shape. _No_ , she thought. Not to take shape. To _assume a form_. That which was depicted was an entity that had always been there, present but not visible. An entity that had now deigned to show itself to her. A Great One.

 _ **Kos**_.

As if reacting to her unvoiced thought, the amalgamation of water stopped its movement completely. Then, droplets of a distinctive dark red hue started falling, akin to layers being peeled off until finally what was within the cocoon was revealed.

Louise didn't know what to do. She just stood there staring, mesmerized. Was what she was seeing real? Was it her perception playing tricks on her? Or had the Great One appeared before exactly in the way Louise had wanted to perceive it. She wasn't quite sure, but really, did it matter? Perhaps it had appeared in such a way that Louise _could_ perceive it. Even then, there were still part of the form hidden behind obscurity. But what she could see was enough. She could make out a face, a beautiful female face. Some parts like the eyes were either missing or obscured and yet Louise could easily discern the expression it made. It was a loving, maternal smile.

The Great One then moved a limb, one which closely resembled a long, slender human arm. The hand was held towards her, beckoning her to step forward. Louise immediately understood the meaning behind it.

"Why?" she managed to stammer out. _Why would you do this for me?_

The loving smile never faltered and the response entered directly into her head with the gentleness of an ocean breeze.

" **Child."**

(***)

Kirche woke early. Or rather, she woke early when compared to the rest of the party. She had woken exactly when she had planned to, at least if the faint light of dawn was anything to go by. She got out of her bedroll to do a few stretches. The chilly autumn wind didn't bite her, partly because she had gone to sleep still wearing most of her clothes in case of a nightly ambush but also due the fire which was still crackling. Flame had dutifully tended to it the entire night and even now, Kirche spotted her salamander in the midst of adding some extra kindling to the flames. Kirche walked over before sitting down around the fire and began patting her familiar.

"You have done well, Flame. Have some rest." She told it.

Flame took that to meaning he could curl up in her lap. Given his size, this was somewhat inconvenient for Kirche, especially considering she was supposed to start making breakfast, but she would bear the weight for a few moments. She had recently begun some muscle training exactly for this reason, after all.

Eventually, she gently pushed the large lizard off her and began preparing breakfast in earnest. Soon, she was joined by Tabitha who had a similar habit of waking early and the two managed to coax Montmorency and Guiche out of their tent. Kirche noted the somewhat embarrassed but also hungry looks they shared between each other, with great amusement. They really were too prudish for their own good. She began idly wondering when one of them would snap and which one it would be. Guiche had seemed more subdued ever since Louise cast her spell on him so her money was on Montmorency. Or, at least it would be if she could find someone willing to take the bet. Tabitha held no interest in such matters despite Kirche's best attempts at encouraging her so she would have to try and goad Louise into taking the bet.

Speaking off, that girl was so far the only thing about thing about this morning that was not going according to plan. They had now had breakfast, packed their things up and were ready to go. All except Louise because that girl was _still_ sleeping. Kirche had initially just decided to let her continue to doze, thinking that the smell of food would lure her from sleep. How naïve she had been. Louise had not only not woken, she had proved impervious to any attempt at waking her. She just lay on her stupid blanket, with a piece of cloth tied around her eyes for some reason, and a silly grin on her face. Kirche had never before seen anyone appear so happy to be sleeping. Alternatively, she thought that grin might be an unconscious reaction from Louise, in response to their failed attempts at waking her, as if to spite them. Knowing Louise, that was definitely a possibility. She wanted to douse her with some cold water but with Louise, even that might not have any effect on her.

In the end, they decided to just take off regardless. They didn't want to just stay doing nothing but they couldn't exactly leave Louise behind either. Kirche had suggested to just tie the girl to her horse and be done with it, but Tabitha had implemented the more humane solution of using a levitation spell to just have Louise flowing gently though the air beside them. Tabitha had to ride with the rest of the party to maintain the spell, but it wouldn't be a particularly large drain on her willpower reserves and there was still her dragon familiar to keep watch from the skies. That then left Kirche with the job of keeping hold of Louise's horse as they somewhat slowly made their across the dirt road.

(***)

It was sometime during the afternoon that Kirche noticed that Louise began to stir. They briefly slowed down, allowing for a somewhat more gentle awakening than to be levitated through the air at the pace of a trot. Due to the cloth around her eyes, Kirche couldn't see exactly when she opened them but assumed the girl to be properly awake once she began humorously flailing about mid-air.

"So, Sleeping Beauty finally awakens?" Kirche etched some caustic sarcasm into her tone but realized too late that it could still be interpreted as a compliment.

"My, was I asleep for so long?"

Louise must have managed to pinpoint her voice as she looked directly at her. Kirche found it somewhat eerie how she couldn't see the pinkette's eyes, yet the girls smile and tone were the very image of serenity.

"You were! You wouldn't wake up in the morning and you've just slept all the way to now. Looked like you were having a grand time of it, too."

Kirche tried to sound accusatory but instead, a small giggle escaped Louise's lips.

"My sincerest apologies, I did not intend to bog down our travels. I simply had…pleasant dreams." She said, as if that explained anything, that serene smile still on her face.

"Well, what kind of dreams then?" Kirche asked, mostly in lieu of anything else to say.

"I dreamt of water." She stated simply.

Well, at least that made _some_ sense.

"Ah, is that what they call it in Tristain?" Kirche asked, a knowing smirk on her face. "A good thing we didn't manage to wake you, then. I've had the occasional 'dream of water' myself and waking up prematurely can leave you quite _unsatisfied_."

Louise paused momentarily. If her eyes weren't covered, Kirche had the feeling she would be getting a blank look right about now. Even the girl's smile was gone.

"Oh, Kirche." The serene smile was back now. "I have no idea what you just alluded to, yet I can only assume that it is crude, vulgar and considering the subject matter, tantamount to blasphemy."

She paused for a moment and Kirche readied herself for the incoming rant.

"…But that is fine. That is who you are." Louise said instead, her smile now so wide it looked like it might jump off her face and go live a life of its own. "The sea will accept us all, just as we are. Even the lowest of low like yourself. Isn't it grand?"

Dumbfounded, Kirche did not know how to answer. Louise had apparently not expected one either as she immediately began giggling to herself.

"Ah, Tabitha?" Somehow, Louise managed to turn her head and look directly at the blue haired girl. "I trust it is you who have been levitating me this entire time."

Out of habit, Tabitha just nodded in response. Either able to see her in some fashion or just intuiting the answer, Louise went on.

"You have my thanks, yet it is no longer necessary. Please, release your spell."

To Kirche's great delight, Tabitha did as asked immediately. Yet, Louise did not fall to the ground as expected, she kept hovering.

"Kirche, please continue to take care of my horse."

She then laid down in mid-air and started drifting along the road, looking around the scenery, eyes still covered by cloth, and occasionally laughing quietly to herself.

Kirche knew of afterglow, but this was ridiculous.

(***)

As Louise continued to drift along the unseen current she began to consider just how fortunate she was. She had been granted another boon. Taught an important lesson. She had been shown the true meaning of _acceptance_.

She thought she had understood it, but realized now that she had only grasped it in the abstract. A process by which a feeling or sensation, when thrown into the sea, was made nothing. That was the sum total of her knowledge on the subject. She had intuitively understood that the sea would accept everything, but why? And _how?_ She hadn't spared it a second thought. Only taken it as a self-evident truth and been thankful for it. _Used it._ But now, she understood.

To accept is to _understand_. To perceive, grasp and then relent. To accept is not to _know_. Louise had never _known_ the feeling of romantic love, but she could _understand_ it. And that was why she could accept it. That was why the sea could accept it. That was why the sea would accept everything, everything Louise could throw at it. Louise knew her own emotions, knew what sensation she could feel. And what was known to a human mind, surely would be trivial for a Great One to merely understand. And to understand was to be able to accept. And Louise had seen, had been shown, that the sea, that **Kos** was willing to accept all. And to be accepted by the sea means to become one with it, means to be a single part of an endless ocean. Means to become nothing.

Louise looked at the scenery through her blindfold once more. She didn't know what she was seeing. But she could understand it, to a degree. She knew she was looking at the world. And she understood that what the world was showing her was beyond her capabilities to comprehend. But she could admit to herself that she _was_ seeing something. And just the abstract understanding that she was seeing something was enough for Louise to accept it. And then, she could throw it to the sea.

She laughed to herself again. It was quite funny, really. Louise looked once more to the scenery. All she saw was water.

(***)

"Vallière!"

Louise was broken out of her daydreams by a voice. Turning to look, she found an animated blob of water vying for her attention. Based on the shape, it was probably Montmorency. Louise briefly removed the blindfold to get a better look. Yup, it was Montmorency all right. Her hunch proven correct, Louise put the blindfold back on.

"Hey, don't just ignore me!" the blonde girl almost shrieked.

"I'm not ignoring you." Louise said in a placating manner.

"Then why did you cover your eyes and why are you lying down in the air in the first place?" Montmorency demanded.

"It's very comfortable." Louise answered, unsure of how else to phrase it. "Regardless, did you want to speak with me?"

"Yes! I've been wanting to speak with you since morning but you've just asleep this entire time. It's almost evening now!" Montmorency sounded almost amazed by it. "How can you possibly sleep that long?"

"Very easily." Louise answered after a moment.

She was enjoying watching the blonde girl's increasing exasperation. Such unneeded feelings. Should she just take them away? Wait a second, that was probably the exact reason why the girl was talking to her in the first place.

"Moving on, is this about Guiche, then?"

"Yes." Montmorency nodded, seriously. "You see, the two of us slept together in that tent last night."

Louise wasn't entirely sure how she should respond to that. Was Montmorency trying to brag?

"Congratulations, I suppose." She tried.

"No, not like that!" Montmorency quickly responded, her cheeks flushing red. "You spend too much time with that Zerbst woman! We just slept in close proximity to each other is all."

"I see. And then?"

"Well, I think he's been having trouble…holding back, since then. He tries! He tries so hard and it's all my fault. If only I never…"

Louise could tell she was about continue and tell her tale of woe, but she really wasn't all that interested so she interrupted the blonde.

"I see. I see. I shall cast the spell on him again, then."

She then quickly got up and began running alongside the current. Given that said current was already propelling her forward at approximately the same pace as the horses, this made her speed up quite a bit and she caught up to Guiche without issue.

"Hello." She stated clearly to prevent him from being surprised by her sudden appearance. It didn't work.

"Ah!" Guiche jolted and looked around. "Valliére?" he asked in apparent disbelief. "Why are you standing in mid-air and what's wrong with your eyes?"

Louise didn't feel the need to answer that a second time, so she didn't. Instead, she just took out her wand and pointed it at the confused boy.

"Wait! Are you going to cast that calming spell again? Please, let me brace myself." Guiche briefly let go of the reins to his horse so he could place his head in his hands. "To think I need a spell like this to prevent me from hurting my beloved. Like some sort of animal. What a disgrace I am."

He seemed genuinely depressed about the whole affair and Louise could sympathize with him to some degree. But then he seemed about to go on and tell _his_ tale of woe. Louise was in a good mood, but not _that_ good. She pointed her wand at him again and began to cast her spell.

It was easy now. Now that she understood acceptance. Because she could also understand his feelings, even if she had never experienced something similar herself. Previously, she had to gather the unmaterialized waters with great care, relying on her vague perception. Now, they were in plain sight and easily gathered at her beckoning. Previously, she had to use her own known feelings as a blueprint to get the waters to understand what feelings to accept. Now, she knew she just needed to understand the feelings to look for in order to imbue the waters with the purpose of accepting them. All in all, what before had been a challenging endeavor that had tested the limits of her control, was now as intuitive to her as any other spell. She sent the waters into his mind.

"Calm."

Louise held the spell for only a couple seconds, reasoning that he would soon be 'cured' anyway and so she needed only to lessen his 'symptoms' for the time being. That, and she was slightly worried that this time, the spell might _really_ remove all traces of love the man felt for Montmorency. Once the spell was cast, Guiche seemed to be dazed for a moment and was about to fall off his horse when he recovered.

"How do you feel?" Louise asked, curious.

"I feel…different." Came the response. "I still love MonMon, of course I do. But it feels subdued somehow. At least I don't feel like jumping her anymore."

Louise thought Guiche looked at odds with himself, appearing to be very conflicted about how to think. She had not thought the blond to be the introspective sort, yet there he was, brow furrowed and deep in thought. Not looking at the road ahead at all. Louise could certainly also sympathize with _that_ and so decided to offer some advice.

"You should not worry much over how you _should_ feel in any given situation. Know, that there is always one willing to accept you for who you are."

A Great One, specifically. She gave Guiche a parting smile before she began walking off again. On the way she passed Montmorency and gave the girl a wave.

"He should be a lot calmer now." She said to the girl. "But I think he might need some time to sort out his feelings. Try giving him a little space before talking to him."

Louise thought self-reflection was a great thing and would encourage it where she saw it. Though it would appear that Montmorency did not agree.

"Don't tell me how to handle my relationship with my fiancé." She warned. "And since when are you a master of romance? I don't believe I have ever seen you involved with someone else."

Her good mood being rapidly drained by proximity to Montmorency, who seemed to want to dramatize anything and everything, Louise simply shrugged before moving on. In a way, the blonde was correct. Their relationship really wasn't any of her business. And she might even sympathize with Montmorency as a person under a lot of anxiety and stress right now who was just unduly lashing out. After all, she had been much the same the year prior. Still, that didn't mean she enjoyed dealing with emotional outbursts. So she wouldn't. Her advice was not wanted? Then it would not be given.

She continued walking on the unseen water back to where Kirche was still stringing her horse along. Successfully tuning out anything except water from her vision had done wonders to improve the length of time in which she could wear the blindfold without suffering a backlash. As long as she didn't look directly up, at least. But now, the familiar headache was returning and Louise decided that it would be time for her to take off the blindfold. A shame she couldn't utilize the unmaterialized waters like she had been without being able to see them. It really was quite comfortable and convenient to boot. She would have to make due with riding normally instead.

(***)

Due to their somewhat slower pace than the previous day, the party had not quite arrived by the Lagdorian Lake by the time it was evening. They would just have to make camp again and set out for the lake in the morning. Louise didn't mind the delay. First off, she couldn't really allow herself to, seeing as _she_ was the primary cause of said delay. But she also didn't mind since she now had something to occupy her thoughts. The Great One, **Kos** had referred to her as "child". The idea has taken a while to fully think in. Still, she was not entirely sure of the implications.

For something so great, so superior, to recognize her was incredible. That it or _she_ would recognize her as kin was unfathomable. Louise simply wasn't sure what to make of it. Perhaps it was meant in a way similar to a respected elder calling a grown man 'child' to bring attention to the vast difference in experience between them. Louise could at least understand that sentiment. But still she felt it was too familiar a way of referral. And there was also another possibility. One interpretation of the name, one aspect of the Great One that Louise called as **Kos** , was the term 'mother'. Everything originally stems from the ocean, perhaps the Great One considered all living beings as her children. But them why would she show herself to Louise, specifically? Louise did not have any answers but she hoped the water spirit of Lagdorian Lake might. She found herself greatly anticipating the meeting. Fetching her blanket, Louise lay down and went to 'sleep'.

(***)

The night went by and morning came, as mornings tend to do. Alerted by some nearby rustling, Louise rose and began making her way towards the ever crackling fire. Surprisingly, she found Kirche there, preparing what looked like to be a breakfast meal.

"Good morning." Louise greeted the redhead.

Kirche also seemed surprised at her presence.

"She lives!" she then sighed exaggeratedly. "What a shame. I was looking forward to throwing you in the lake to wake you up."

"Always a pleasure to ruin your day right from the get-go." Louise answered in a sing-song voice. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Indeed." Kirche nodded ceremoniously. "You did not have a chance to experience my spectacular cooking yesterday, but I trust that you shan't skimp out this time?" she finished by dramatically pointing a ladle at Louise.

"I shan't." Louise confirmed, striking an equally dramatic pose.

Well, 'spectacular' wasn't exactly how she would describe it, but Louise had to admit that Kirche's cooking was actually rather good. Most likely better than what she could have made. A hot meal was also a nice way to start a day. Fire magic might have its perks after all.

The two was quickly joined by Tabitha who greeted the both of them with a simple nod before sitting down and beginning to eat. A bit later, Guiche and Montmorency emerged from their tent, both looking somewhat haggard. It seemed the two either simultaneously had trouble falling asleep or else talked well into the night. Regardless, once the two had some food in their bellies, they lightened up significantly and looked happier than when she had last seen them the night before. Good for them.

(***)

They leisurely rode the remaining way to the Lagdorian Lake. It was quite vast, for a lake anyway, but Louise held some pretty lofty standards for what constituted 'large bodies of water' and so wasn't impressed. From where they approached it, the edge of the lake led to lush grasslands and they decided to let their horses free to graze, trusting the trained animals to not run away.

The five of them approached the lake with varying degrees of excitement. Louise was really looking forward to meeting the water spirit, Montmorency looked anxious, Guiche looked determined for some reason, Tabitha looked barely interested and Kirche looked straight up bored. Louise could almost feel the redhead's desire for things to go wrong, just to have something exciting happening, emanating off her.

"Well, here we are at last." Montmorency broke the silence. "I will call the water spirit, now."

"Remember that I shall have the opportunity to talk to it first." Louise said in case the blonde had forgotten.

"I remember, and in accordance with out agreement I shall allow you to." She pause for a moment. "Just, _please_ be polite to it. I don't want to deal with an angry spirit."

"Don't worry." Louise answered easily. "I simply intend to ask it a few questions. I'll be on my best behavior."

Nodding, Montmorency began the ritual of calling the water spirit. It seemed to involve a lot of chanting although Louise highly doubted that all of it was necessary. Eventually, Montmorency pricked her finger with a knife she had brought and let a few drops of her blood spill out into the lake.

"I am of House Montmorency. By my blood and in the name of the pact, I call for you, Guardian of the Lake!"

She then stepped back allowing Louise to take center stage. Without hesitation, Louise put on her blindfold and the world disappeared, leaving only water.

She saw it then, at the heart of the lake. A rune. It was unexpected but not entirely surprising now that she thought of it. The rune didn't speak to her like others had, it seemed too faint. Yet with her Sight, Louise was able to make out its meaning. A long horizontal line representing the still surface with scattered vertical lines of different length to signify tides. _Lake._ That was undoubtedly the meaning and in a way, that rune _was_ the lake. But she could make out something else from it. Something vague, not part of the original interpretation. _To flow_.

Louise's attention was then grabbed by movement of water. The few droplets of Montmorency's blood still rippled across the surface before it began bubbling. Louise noticed something emerging from the heart of the lake. Small currents going upwards that soon grew in strength before converging in a spiral. From it, the water spirit made its appearance.

Louise looked at in shock. She didn't know what to expect but it most certainly wasn't anything like this. Louise held a hand to her mouth to remind herself to breathe and to muffle any sounds that might escape. But it was too late, it had already begun. What else could she do? The water spirit was just so…looked just so… _puny_.

Louise began laughing hysterically.

"Hahahaha!" She tried to compose herself, but only managed to momentarily stifle her laughter to a series of giggles. Then she broke out laughing again. "Hahahaha!"

"Who…dares…"

The raspy, angry voice of the spirit rang out with surprising volume, but Louise was ready to respond in kind.

"Louise of the Great Deep Sea greets you, Lord of the Puddle!"

If she didn't have its attention before she certainly had gotten it now. It now assumed a shape similar to her own, except blobby and watery. Did it not even have a material form to call its own? Louise had to stop herself from beginning to laugh at it again.

"You…" It looked at her with a murderous stare. Then, some sort of realization must have dawned on it as the stare softened slightly into a merely hostile glare. "You. What do you want? Have you come to take what is mine?" it asked. "Look around." It gestured to the lake itself. "All you see is part of me, I will not give up anything. Go away."

Louise continued, unwaveringly.

"I had intended to ask you a few questions but I see know that you can't possibly have answers worth listening to. Instead, I guess I'll just ask you to hand over a tear. One on my friends need it."

Well, 'friend' was pushing it but the sentiment stood.

"No! Did you not hear? It is mine, all mine!" it screamed.

What an unreasonable fellow. And why did it think throwing a tantrum would intimidate her? Louise had had enough of this farce.

"Then I shall take it from you." She stated simply.

"No! I will not be robbed again!"

As if to accentuate its point, the waters of the lake began twisting into a violent maelstrom. The waters then aligned themselves, on the shore opposite them, seemingly gearing up to form a massive wave to drown them all. Louise found herself frowning deeply at the sight.

She couldn't understand it. Why did the waters _move_? To be a lake is to be still, static, yet as Louise peered at the waters of the lake she saw only 'flow'. Like a desire once repressed but now revitalized by the prospect of indulging in it. The water spirit was whipping up the waters into a frenzy, like a great storm had begun to ravage the lake. With a final raged glare directed at Louise, it directed the waters towards them.

Louise looked at the colossal crest that was approaching. She had had noticed a certain discontinuity between the water spirits commands and the actual waters' movement. Their movements was born, not from _purpose_ , not from whatever the water spirit was trying to instill in them, but simply from the desire to flow. As the wave came ever closer, Louise realized what it meant.

 _Does the lake dream of being a river?_

Louise smiled despite herself and despite death being just moments away. What a noble desire. To be a river is to flow, it is to eventually return to the sea. To think that the waters longed to return to the sea. Oh, Louise was familiar with such a desire. She could certainly understand it. She could certainly _accept_ it.

As the waters reached the shore, Louise spread her arms in an awaiting embrace.

"I shall lead you back." She said quietly.

The smile still on her face, Louise watched with some sense of vicarious joy as the waters simply…vanished. They didn't disappear, of course, but whatever water would seek out her embrace would dematerialize. Soon, Louise found herself standing on a completely dry shore, looking at a lake now mostly bereft of water. And at the pitiful creature dwelling in it.

"Mercy!" It begged. "Mercy, child of **Kos** , mercy!"

"Of course."

Louise began slowly walking towards it. The waters retreated from her step, baring the lakebed to her. The water spirit, still stuck in a mockery of her own shape looked up to her with fearful eyes. Louise gently reached out a hand.

And crushed it.

Louise looked at the receding form of the water spirit. Or rather, she looked at the rune it had drawn power from. What a foul being, to use such a malicious way of attaining power. Such was its deception that even Louise had been fooled. To think she had misconstrued the meaning of 'Lake'. A wide horizontal flow, running across many shores. Clearly, it meant _River_. And a river could not be held captive in a mere pond forever. Louise looked down at her hand. The water spirit was almost gone, in fact, only a single fragment remained, firmly held in her grasp.

Louise turned back and addressed her companions.

"I have the tear."

(***)

Her companions, who had retreated away from the lake now approached her somewhat cautiously, words held back in favor of staring dumbfounded at her. Except Tabitha, who was just staring in her usual way. Eventually, the silence was broken by…laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Loud laughter sounded across the flat landscape. Well, at least Louise wasn't the only one who had gotten a good laugh out of the whole ordeal.

"Don't worry she says, I'll be on my best behavior she says. Greetings, Lord of the Puddle she says!"

Kirche was completely beside herself. Whatever she originally had expected of the situation this outcome seemed to have exceeded her expectations. Louise had to agree with her. It _was_ all pretty funny. But it was also somewhat of a missed opportunity.

"I meant it all at the time, you know. I really was planning to just have a polite conversation with it." Louise said, just to clarify that she hadn't been blatantly lying.

Kirche wasn't buying it. "Oh, of course you did. Sure changed your tune quickly though. I've never before seen someone ridicule a spirit and get away with it like that."

"Well, it _was_ pretty pathetic. I mean did you _see_ it?"

"Hey!" Montmorency broke in. "My family have had a pact with it and gotten valuable reagents through said pact across generations. And now it's all ruined thanks to you!"

"Your ancestors probably got swindled." Louise stated blandly.

Kirche began laughing again. When she stopped she had to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Oh, Louise. There's never quite a dull moment with you around is there? First you start sleeping in the air and next thing you're beating up spirits and what? Did you end up stealing its water or something?"

"I didn't steal it. I'm returning it to where it belongs." Louise explained.

"Stop, stop." Kirche held her hand up in front of her face. "No more, please. If I laugh more I might actually die."

Louise huffed in mock offense. She knew better than to expect Kirche to understand how she had helped the water. "You shouldn't have asked about it, then."

"That's all well and good but what are you going to do about the lack of water in the lake. Look, it's almost entirely drained." Guiche suddenly remarked.

Louise turned to him with a blank look. She failed to see how that was her problem.

"And how do you suppose that's got anything to with me?" she said as much.

She definitely wasn't going to return the water to the lake that was for sure. She had promised it to reunite it with the sea, after all. But her very noble motives seemed to have gone over Kirche's head as, against her better judgement, the redhead began laughing loudly again.

Louise sighed. All in all, this whole trip hadn't exactly worked out like she had hoped or even like she had expected. On one hand, Louise _had_ acquired the tear of the water spirit, so the whole endeavor could be regarded as successful even if Montmorency was still currently fuming. She would come around in time. But on the other hand, Louise had looked forward to talking to a powerful being closely related to water and learn from it, which hadn't exactly panned out. Though on a third, metaphorical hand, she _had_ been fortunate enough to communicate with an even more powerful being, much more intimately related to water than any spirit could dream of, to the point where even comparing the two was meaningless. And though that had raised more questions she desperately wanted answers to, she had also been taught an important lesson. A lesson she had taken to heart, one whose value was not in plain sight but instead was what allowed for plain sight in the first place. Just the thought of how long it would have taken her to learn that on her own made her want to say a prayer in thanks.

So in the end, while she hadn't gotten exactly what she had wanted, she had gotten more than she could have dreamed of, albeit it not by any direct consequence of the trip. But then again, if Kirche was to be believed, such was unmistakably the nature of an adventure. She could understand why Kirche and Tabitha seemed so fond of them. Maybe she should ask to go with them some other time, on a more 'proper' adventure. But for now, she wanted nothing more than to return to the school. Louise managed to suppress another small fit of giggles but not the manic smile that formed on her lips when she thought of just how beneficial her improved sight would be to her studies.

"I believe we are done here, then." She spoke up, addressing the entire party. "Let's head back."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **(***)**

 **So how about that 'weekly updating schedule', eh? Well, for daring to tempt the Cosmos, I was punished by several time sinks rearing their ugly heads. But part was also just certain scenes of this chapter taking a really long time to write. I tend to be very particular with my formulations after all, thumbing through a thesaurus to find _just_ the right word. **

**At any rate, setting a schedule was probably a bad idea in the first place. It's not like I was going to possibly compromise the quality of my story just to meet some arbitrary deadline anyway. So know that this story is very much alive and will be continually updated, just not at a set pace. Biweekly chapters might be likely, though. Also, before starting chapter nine, I intend to revisit chapter seven and improve some parts, using the feedback I've gotten on it.**

 **Finally, guest reviewer Pac asked why Kirche didn't visit Louise in the infirmary during chapter six. The reason is simply that she didn't know Louise was _there_ for the first days since Osmond tried to suppress information regarding the incident. But even when she found out Louise was involved through rumors, she couldn't visit her since Peltier didn't allow visitors. Otherwise, Henrietta would have visited every day.**

 **Not to sound like a douche, but for small questions like that, it is easier to PM me on this site or leave a review as a user so i can respond directly to you in a timely fashion instead of eventually cluttering up the author's notes. That's all for now, see you next chapter.**


	9. Reminiscent of Blood

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Nine: Reminiscent of Blood**

The trip back to the academy was going smoothly although silently. Montmorency still wasn't speaking to her and Kirche had returned to her post as rear guard with Tabitha keeping watch from the sky. All this left Louise with little other to do than idly gaze at the trees by the side of the road and begin to consider what first to do when they arrived back at the academy. There was still that healing spell, which she believed herself to already know on some instinctive level, that she needed to properly master. She was also interested in testing the limits of her calming spell. Although she would probably need willing participants for that. She wondered if Osmond would allow it. He probably wouldn't, actually. Spells that directly affected the mind of the target were something of a taboo. Something as simply calming the emotions of someone seemed rather innocent, benign even, but he might realize the true potential of the spell. Louise sighed internally. She would probably need to shelve that spell for a while. A bit disappointing, considering she had just recently gained far greater insight into the principle at work behind the spell. Perhaps she could apply the idea of universal acceptance elsewhere. Besides, she had just thought of another spell which seemed more important.

Her new experience of seeing 'flow' at work left her with some ideas regarding a protection spell of sorts. In a fight, concentrating on something unseen while simultaneously moving about and keeping your eyes on the surroundings was an arduous task – and downright impossible if she was wearing her blindfold. In which case she would require some manner of protection. Typically, a mage would have their familiar for such a task, but without a familiar to speak of, she would have to rely on herself for that task as well.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she was _supposed_ to have attempted the Summoning Ritual again already. Her original leniency period of one month had passed some days ago, actually but she had completely forgotten about it. It would seem that Osmond had as well. Or perhaps he didn't consider it important anymore once it came to light that she was a Void mage. Regardless, she ought to have a look at the ritual again, anyway. She was somewhat interested in Brimir's rituals and this one was properly the most well documented and most well understood. And just maybe, with a pair of fresh eyes, she could gleam some new insight from it.

Lost in such deliberations, Louise had unknowingly slowed down. She became aware of this fact only when she felt a slap to the back of her head. She managed to crane her neck enough to look back at the perpetrator.

"Awake?" Asked Kirche.

Louse was about to respond with something sarcastic when the lack of humor in Kirche's tone registered with her. This might be serious.

"I am now."

"Good," came the short reply. "Then follow my lead and don't contradict anything I say."

Louise nodded and watched as Kirche immediately overtook her, leading both horses along before loudly calling out to the party's remaining members both of whom were riding in front.

"Guiche! Montmorency! Stop for a second, will you?"

Both of them slowed to a halt and turned around.

"What is it, Zerbst?"

Montmorency still sounded mad. Louise considered that the blonde might just _always_ be mad at anyone not named Guiche. Kirche didn't seem to mind, however.

"How about we take a break and relax a little? I can feel both my horses getting tired".

Louise pretended to ponder the proposition for a bit before chiming in.

"For once, Kirche has a good idea." She said, matching the volume of the redhead. "I could do with a nap or something."

"You sleep far too much! Are you an old woman or something?"

"Well excuse me, MonMon, but I am just a tad bit exhausted after getting you that water tear for free."

She wasn't, actually. Louise didn't even have a headache. But it might help Montmorency go along with the plan. Whatever the plan was.

"Don't call me that! And it wasn't exactly for free…"

Really, now. Was Montmorency just being obstinate for the sake of it or had she somehow sensed that Louise was conspiring with Kirche with some sort of goal in mind and then decided to hinder them? Regardless, Louise was having none of it.

"Did you trade the water spirit anything for it?" she asked.

"Well, no." came the somewhat reluctant response.

Louise cut her off before Montmorency could continue.

"And did you pay _me_ for it?" she asked?

"Not really, I guess…"

"Then you got if for free." Concluded Louise. "And the least you could do for me is a small favor."

"You know, she has a point, MonMon." Kirche added. "Why, you probably didn't even need to do the summoning. We could have just had Louise laugh at it until it showed up."

The thought seemed to amuse her greatly as Louise noticed a grin momentarily creeping up the redhead's face before Kirche remembered that this was supposed to be serious.

"Fine, fine. Sheesh!" Montmorency eventually relented. "It's not like I was _that_ against the idea in the first place. But must we take a break right here on the road? Why not ride a little further to a more suited place. Also, stop calling me MonMon!"

"You are of course right, MonMon." Kirche agreed easily. "But it just so happens that I recognize this place. The woods in this area are more shallow than they seem. We can just ride off road. There should be a clearing somewhere to the right here." She finished, nodding towards said direction.

Louise followed her gaze but couldn't really see anything different about that particular area of trees and it certainly didn't _look_ like there was going to be a clearing that way, but maybe that was just part of the plan. She shrugged internally.

"Sounds good to me." She spoke out loud. "As long as you _actually_ know the way, Kirche." She followed up, directing a meaningful look at her.

"I would never lead you astray!" Kirche affirmed. "Now let's get going!"

She then suddenly and quite enthusiastically, took off, surprising even Louise. Louise shared a small look with Montmorency before shrugging again, this time outwardly, and began following the redhead. With no choice left to them, Montmorency and Guiche did the same.

Kirche seemed to have slowed down by quite a bit as soon as she got just a little ways into the woodland as Louise easily caught up to her. Louise managed to just barely fit her own horse besides Kirche's two on the rather narrow path as she addressed the redhead in a near whisper.

"So, what's the situation?"

"It's not the best. In fact, we're completely surrounded."

Louise agreed that that was indeed not the 'best' situation. In fact, it was much closer to the worst situation she could imagine.

"What's the plan then?" she asked.

"There really is a clearing this way, or so Tabitha told me anyway." Kirche explained. "And it's outside of their encirclement. We'll face them there."

"Do you think they're just going to allow us to walk away from their ambush like that?" Louise asked, now feeling a little dubious regarding the plan as well as Kirche's apparent optimism towards it.

"They don't have any horses, so they'll most likely wait for us to get to the clearing and dismount, to ensure that we can't escape."

Louise nodded to herself. Seemed like a somewhat reasonable assumption. Whether you could then expect bandits to act in a reasonable manner was a separate issue.

"Why don't we just break the encirclement and then make a run for it? Or a ride for it, as it were."

"Two reasons." Kirche answered holding out to fingers to illustrate her point. That she then begun using said fingers to make a series of weird and possibly profane gestures was totally unwarranted. "First, some of them have firearms and if they hit our horses while we try to flee it could end up badly."

Louise nodded again despite herself. Seemed reasonable.

"Second," a dangerous grin found its way to Kirche's face. "We are not going to flee because we are not prey being hunted. They are the prey and we, the hunters."

Louise was about to mention how she was actually neither hunter nor prey and instead served as the prestigious role of 'bait', but thought better of it once she saw Kirche's enthusiasm. Well, if there was going to be a battle she might as well help. Louise begun mentally readying herself for the inevitable.

"Very well then. I can help fight, too. I can prepare a powerful water spell, but I tend to be a little out of it while casting so you're going to have to direct me to where and when I should unleash it."

"Aha, the signature 'Deep Sea'? Might come in handy to cut off their escape or something. Just don't stand still and get shot or something."

Louise winced slightly. That brought back some bad memories. The feeling quickly subsided. Things would go differently this time, right? Probably.

"Say, is it just me or is it getting colder?"

Their impromptu strategy meeting was interrupted as Guiche's voice rang out. It made Louise stop to consider the question. Was it? She wouldn't know. She had long since decided that feeling the air temperature was pointless and had tuned the sensation out entirely.

"Not really." She answered back. "Or, at least _I_ don't feel it."

"I have never felt cold in my entire life!" Kirche boasted shortly thereafter.

An exasperated sigh was heard coming Montmorency.

"Don't try to argue with them, dear. Kirche's a fire mage and Vallière is, well… _Vallière_." She said, as if that explained anything.

To Louise's surprise, the statement was med with an understanding nod from Guiche. That earned her a snicker coming from Kirche followed by a few prods to her side.

"You hear that, Louise? MonMon says I'm too hot!"

"Not only is that not what she said at all, it most certainly was not what she _meant._ " Louise answered back

almost automatically, falling into old habits despite the situation.

"It was just a joke." Kirche said dejected. "No reason to be so _Valliére_ about it." She followed up, smirking.

Louise barely suppressed a groan. Was her proud family name really being delegated to be used in place of an adjective now? Under normal circumstances Louise would be more than happy to give Kirche a piece of her mind about this, but current circumstances could hardly be considered 'normal'. Thus, Louise didn't really feel like arguing and settled for silence. The conversation culminated in Kirche promising to start a fire once they got to the clearing in order to placate Guiche who kept complaining, before eventually dying out.

As they continued, Louise had to hold herself back from looking and trying to spot any of their supposed pursuers. Kirche had seemingly also stopped being on guard, presumably in a ploy to not tip off the enemy to the fact that their presence had been discovered. Louise did catch the redhead glancing meaningfully at the sky every now and again. Was she communicating with Tabitha somehow? That, at least, would be assuring.

Eventually, they did actually make their way to a somewhat spacious clearing. With flat ground almost entirely clear of any vegetation besides grass, it looked to be an area deliberate cleared of trees. Perhaps it was once a base for a logger's camp or a perhaps a popular rest spot for hunters. Louise didn't particularly care about the possible history of this clearing, only noting that the open area lacked any useful cover. She really hoped Kirche and Tabitha knew what they were doing or this could easily end badly. As they dismounted and Kirche insisted on leading their horses to the very edge of the clearing to graze, Louise briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She dismissed all her feelings of unease and apprehension, returning to a much more calm state of mind. To worry was not a bad thing in itself, but it would do her little good now. There was also no use for hesitation in a battle. Louise realized that she might soon use her magic to either severely hurt or even kill other people. She acknowledged the thought, but did not allow it to draw an emotional response from her. Instead, Louise begun to prepare.

If she was to maintain any sort of awareness of her surroundings, she couldn't use the blindfold. That also meant that she couldn't draw as much water as she wanted to. The sea was still _there_ of course, omnipresent and of boundless depth. But without being able to actually see it, attempting to control any significant amount of water was no easy task. And yet surprisingly, when Louise called out to the sea, a strong response greeted her. Even though it was only a vague feeling, Louise was still able to interpret a certain sense of…familiarity? Camaraderie? No, she could recognize the feeling now. It was _eagerness_. The waters previously of the Lagdorian Lake had never quite left her side. Well, if they wanted to flow, Louise was certain that the waters would relish the task she had in mind. She smiled despite herself. Everything just might work out after all.

(***)

Louise was spacing out again. Was she already preparing a spell or had she just gone too far into the role of playing oblivious? Kirche supposed that it didn't really matter. She had more important, immediate concerns. She glanced at the sky and was greeted with two quick flashes. The enemy was approaching. Good. She had to hand it to Tabitha: For a spur of the moment location, this clearing was not bad at all. There was no real cover and no clear path of retreat. She grinned. Yes, this would work.

With confrontation imminent, the only thing left to take care of was positioning. She just needed to make sure the non-combatants were grouped up and away from the line of fire. Admittedly, the lack of cover worked against them here, but just having the three grouped together would have to do. Tabitha could handle the rest. She called out to Louise who at first didn't seem to hear her. Eventually the pinkette got her act together enough to at least respond. With a completely blank face, Louise approached her. Was this her battle-mode? Kirche thought the maniacally laughing, nonsense-spouting Louise had more character. Regardless, she told Louise of the plan and got a nod in confirmation as response. Without much fanfare, Louise approached Guiche and Montmorency and made sure they all were a little ways from her. Kirche nodded. Good. The stage was set. The props were in place. Actors were at the ready.

"Good afternoon, noble ladies and gentleman." A voice rang out from the tree line.

Kirche concealed a fierce grin. Showtime.

(***)

Louise watched Kirche take a deliberate moment to act, before she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the visitor.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I would advise you to put that wand down, young lady." Came the unfazed response. "If you know what's good for you, that is."

With that declaration, four men stepped out into the open. The man in front who appeared to be the leader had a somewhat dignified air about him. It reminded Louise of certain noblemen. Despite this, all four men were dressed in well-worn, coarse clothes with leather wests worn on top. With somewhat swarthy complexions and a variety of weapons hanging at their sides, any remaining doubt of their intentions were broken by the cruel smiles present on the face of all four men.

"Brigands?" Kirche wondered aloud, seemingly hesitating for a bit. "Ha! You think you stand a chance against four mages with only a measly four men? You'll need at least ten times that! So why don't you all get out of here while I'm still feeling merciful."

To accentuate her point, she begun waving her wand around in a threatening manner. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the threat did not seem to intimidate the bandit leader. Instead, his smile intensified as he gave a brief whistle.

"Come on out, lads."

At his command, more men came pouring out from the woods. More than a dozen, no, more than two dozen. Perhaps even more than thirty men. Kirche seemed somewhat cowed by their numbers as she briefly lowered her wand before defiantly raising it again, pointing it directly at the leader with a determined expression on her face.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves." He begun, still all smiles. "I am Gryson and we are the free people of Gojau village. Normally, I'd ask for your valuables or you lives, but in this case your lives _are_ valuables to us. You will be coming with us, until your families can pay ransom. Worry not, you will not come to harm while in our company. But first, I'll need you to **drop your wands!** "

The sudden transition from a calm tone of voice to an order shouted with quite a bit of force behind it made Kirche jump. Louise looked to her.

"Kirche, what do we do?" she asked.

Were things still going according to plan? Louise could only assume so and continue to play her perceived part. Behind her, Montmorency had retreated to behind Guiche's back and stood there trembling, while Guiche had bravely taken a battle-ready stance of his own, despite also trembling slightly.

Kirche seemed to consider Louise's question carefully before doing something which surprised Louise: She threw her wand away.

"Do what he says." She declared in monotone.

"What? Zerbst, didn't you say you would protect us? And what about Ta-"

"I am protecting you!" Kirche quickly cut off Montmorency's shrill voice. "He said they wouldn't hurt us as long as our families pay ransom, so just do as he says!"

With an inward shrug, Louise complied, somewhat nonchalantly letting her wand drop to the ground. It wasn't like she needed it anyways. With much more hesitation, Guiche eventually let go of his wand as well.

"Good." came the voice of Gryson, who appeared to have watched the display with great amusement. "You have made the correct decision." He continued, as he and his men begun walking closer. "Rest assured, I keep my promises. You shall all be returned good as new provided your families pay." He paused for a bit. "You'll want to make sure they pay."

Another cruel smile and a few dirty looks at them, and at Kirche in particular, hinted to what would happen to them if their families didn't pay.

Slowly, the full force of the Gryson bandits made their way into the clearing proper, Gryson himself still in front. He reached to where Kirche had thrown her wand and picked up the instrument before beginning to study it with some interest.

"Now," he begun, before pausing.

Was this a dramatic pause? Was he perhaps just looking for the right words? Louise supposed that the reason for his silence might also be found in the large icicle presently sticking out from his throat.

"Leader!" cried the assembled men before clumsily drawing their weapons. The bandits then turned to face them, rage in their eyes, before their attention as drawn to the true culprit.

"In the sky! Dragon!"

From the sky, Sylphid the dragon swooped down using her speed and sharp claws to strike at the enemy before they could muster a response. And with their attention so thoroughly away from the disarmed nobles, none of them saw Kirche draw a spare wand. That was a mistake.

"From ashes I arise and to ashes you shall return! Incinerate!"

Following the short incantation, a great stream of fire tore in to the pack of unsuspecting bandits, eliciting pained screams and causing an acrid smoke to wave through the area.

"You three, get down! It's starting."

Kirche must have done some something to generate so much smoke as Louise completely lost sight of her. Still, her voice could be heard clearly and Louise was quick to comply. As suddenly as the clearing had been covered in smoke, it was scattered by the appearance of strong winds. The winds soon picked up to a veritable storm. And not just any kind of storm either. It was a snowstorm. While the two besides her begun shivering from the cold, Louise watched the descending snow with utmost fascination. Soon, the snow begun swirling in the storm, and Louise begun doubting her own observational abilities. There was no way that could be snow. Those snowflakes were like tiny blades. With the four of them in the eye of the storm, there were not only shielded from the deadly snow but also granted an excellent view of its horrifying effects.

The storm of blades tore relentlessly into any piece of uncovered flesh. Hands, fingers and especially eyes. Over the howling sound of the storm was heard a cacophony of screams as the bandits descended into panic, what was first shock now overtaken by terror. The sight was almost enough to cause Louise to lose her concentration as she simply stared wide eyed at the spectacle. _What on earth is that spell?_ She watched a couple of bandits blindly try to flee the storm, only to be diced to mincemeat as the winds appeared to be stronger the further they got from the center. This forced them to run right towards the center where, unluckily for them, Kirche stood waiting.

"Burn, you bastards!"

She threw fireball after fireball at the now thoroughly disorganized mob of bandits, creating a number of fiery explosions which temporarily dispersed the snow. A couple of blind shots were fired at her but missed her easily as she began taking evasive maneuvers. Faced with such resistance, the remaining bandits who were not blinded, on fire, cut to pieces or otherwise inconvenienced, ran away from Kirche. But not willing to flee back into the storm, their only path of retreat was right to where Louise was currently standing. She took a deep breath and focused once again. It seemed she would have a part to play after all.

"Louise! Stop them!" Kirche called out.

They were now close enough to her that Louise could see the white in their eyes. At Kirche's shout, some manner of look of recognition dawned in the fearful, bloodshot eyes of the frontrunner as he charged Louise with his hatchet. But it was too late.

With the waters of Lagdorian Lake at her disposal, Louise had gathered the unseen waters and let it coil itself like a spring, ready to flow. And now, she would let it loose.

"Flood."

In front of Louise, a torrent of water sprung forth. The massive deluge of highly pressurized water flowed rapidly in a path headed straight for the bandits, bringing with it the certainty of destruction. Skin was pierced through, bones crushed and all as once washed away, taken by the flow. The torrent continued unhindered through the landscape, crushing everything in its way. Not even the trees were safe. Finally, deeming that enough destruction had been caused, Louise dismissed the waters, once more relegating them to obscurity.

No longer needing to keep her focus, Louise allowed herself to look around the once peaceful clearing. It looked like it had been through hell. The grass had been cut off in droves, with tiny incisions marring every piece of exposed ground. Large scorch marks littered the clearing and even some trees, with a still smoking crater also visible. And where the flood had passed through, the dirt was torn from the soil leaving a clear trail of destruction ending in crushed shrubbery and fallen trees. And of course, strewn about the whole area, were blood, body parts and mutilated corpses.

Kirche didn't seem to mind the gore in the slightest as she struck a pose with both hands on her hips and whistled appreciatively.

"Not bad, Louise. You certainly don't take half-measures, do you?" she said, eyeing the carnage. "I think that'll be the last we'll see of the Gryson bandits." She followed up, smiling gleefully.

"Not yet over." A quite voice belonging to none other than Tabitha rang out.

The tiny girl seemed to have popped out of thin air. Perhaps she had been hovering in the air while making use on an invisibility spell. What a scary combination, Louise thought.

"Right you are." Kirche agreed cheerfully. "Let's make sure these bastards are dead."

Kirche and Tabitha then proceeded to aim small fireballs and icicles respectively at anything not already dismembered.

"Impressive shot on Gryson by the way". Kirche commented off-handedly while in the midst of the somewhat gruesome work.

"Seemed appropriate." Tabitha responded, similarly unfazed by the whole scene.

Louise was surprised at their apparent apathy, but perhaps they were just used to this sort of thing. And it wasn't like _she_ cared particularly either.

"Well then, are we done here?" she asked them, mostly just to say something.

"Almost." Kirche answered back. "We just need to check if any of those carried away by your spell survived."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Yes." Came the unanimous response, spoken simultaneously by both girls.

With a shrug, Louise proceeded to follow the two as they made of the cluster of destroyed trees.

"W-wait!"

Louise turned to where the cry came from to find Guiche and Montmorency still huddled together. She had honestly forgotten that they existed for a moment. Despite being unhurt, the two looked to be in a bad state. Montmorency looked like she had been crying and both bore horrified expressions.

"Don't just leave us! What if they come back?"

"Fine, fine. Tabitha, do you mind?"

Tabitha nodded. "Protect." She said in what was probably an attempt at a reassuring voice, only it was still too monotone.

"Louise, you're with me, then." Kirche declared. "Keep an eye out."

Seeing no real reason to disagree, Louise followed Kirche into the tree line. True to what had been asked of her, Louise kept an eye out which unfortunately for her also meant that she wasn't looking at the ground which culminated in Louise almost tripping over someone's entrails. She wasn't squeamish, especially with nearly all emotions still tuned out, but it wasn't exactly fun either. At least Kirche had gotten a quiet giggle from the situation, as the redhead continued to cast small but deadly spells at any near-intact corpse they came across. Unfortunately, the flood had spread the bodies of those carried with it quite a bit, turning the whole endeavor into something of a macabre scavenger hunt. Not a word was spoken between them as they continued to carry out their work. That was probably why they both heard the sound of footsteps sneaking up on them.

"Shit! Sentries!" Kirche cursed and immediately took cover behind a nearby tree.

Louise was a little slower to react but followed the redhead's example. Almost immediately following her exclamation, a man wielding a large dagger charged at them from wherever he had been hiding. Probably Judging Kirche to be the biggest threat, he lunged right at her. This proved to be his undoing as Kirche deftly evaded before quickly casting a spell which set the poor fool on fire. As he fruitlessly ran around screaming, Louise noticed a second man who had the opportunity to get behind them. And what was worse, he had a pistol pointed right at Kirche.

Louise had often read in stories how, when in desperate situations, either time would seem to slow down for the protagonist or they would act without thinking. Louise dearly wished that time would slow down enough for her to cast a spell to ward of the attacker but counted herself lucky with the fact that she at least was very good at thinking quickly. So when Louise threw herself in the way of the soon to be incoming projectile, it was a well thought out decision. Though any remaining thoughts were soon drowned out by a burning feeling in her stomach.

"Louise!"

(***)

She had underestimated how much it would hurt. It was all she could think off. The pain had even managed to drive the sea from her mind. Louise grit her teeth. _No_. _Not this time_. Through force of will, Louise tore her mind away from the pain and forcibly focused on something, anything else. She could hear her own labored breathing and she could hear Kirche saying something but she couldn't make out the words.

"I'm…fine…" She managed to stammer out.

Louise had a plan. Of course she did. She wasn't about to nobly sacrifice herself for _Kirche_ of all people. With great difficulty, she removed the hand clutching her wound as blood now flowed out unhindered. Her vision was beginning to get blurry but that was fine. She didn't need her eyes anyway. She needed her _other_ eyes. With unsteady hands and the occasional whimper, Louise once more tied the blindfold over her eyes. And let in the sea.

Immediately, as the world became murkier, her perception became clearer. With only a modicum of effort, she was able to banish the pain entirely, offering it to the sea. With a clear mind, Louise was able to focus properly on the blood flowing from her. Its dark red hue stood in such contrast to the blue world around her that she was almost captivated by the sight. That is, until she remembered that she was most likely in the process of bleeding out. She spoke a mental command. _Stop_. Blood was water too after all, merely diluted by her own essence. And Louise was of the Sea. It stood to reason that her own blood would obey her. And it did, the bleeding stopped. Good, she should be out of immediate danger then. Now, what to do with all the blood that had already left her body? Louise wondered idly if she could dematerialize it. Would the sea accept an offering of her own blood? Well, she was about to find out.

With some effort, Louise managed to stand up. She looked towards the sky and were greeted with the sight of the massive sea, enveloping all the world. She could handle this sight, now. A smile found a way to Louise's face as she clasped her hands together in prayer.

 _ **Kos.**_ _Mother. I offer to you, my pain, my grievance, my flesh and blood. Please accept my offering. Let it return to the sea, let it become nothing._

Louise knew that prayer wasn't necessary and that **Kos** would accept all regardless, but she prayed anyway because she wanted to. Perhaps she just wanted the Great One to witness what she was about to do. Louise wasn't attempting to heal herself. To heal is to mend, to recover. To fix what is broken. It was an implicit acknowledgment of ones incompleteness. But Louise didn't consider herself lacking. Her wound was a part of her, just like her thoughts or feelings or anything else. And now, she would allow that part of her to return home. So Louise wasn't attempting to heal herself, for she had noting that needed to be healed. Louise was attempting _restoration_. She clasped her hand to her wound once more and spoke out loud, this time without difficulties.

"Restore."

An odd sensation greeted her. It was quite unlike anything she had ever felt before. A sensation akin to lack of feeling anything at all. A sort of profound numbness. Relishing the unfamiliar feeling, Louise just closed her eyes and stood still for a while. Eventually, the feeling subsided. How long had passed? She couldn't tell. But, taking off the blindfold again, what she _could_ tell was that her wound was no more. The hole in her clothes remained, but beneath was only unblemished skin, telling a tale of a wound that never existed. Like it had all just been a bad dream. Or perhaps, the wound was now merely an infinitesimal part of a good dream? The thought made Louise chuckle.

"See? I had it all under control." She said with a smile, to the benefit of a gob smacked Kirche and an equally surprised looking Tabitha.

Wait.

"Tabitha? When did you get here?" Louise asked in confusion.

 _Don't tell me I lost track of time again_. She really needed to do something about that. To make matters worse, the two girls before her did not seem inclined to clue her in to as what happened instead favoring staring at her in silence. Eventually, Kirche approached her cautiously, as if unsure of what do to, before enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Damn you, Louise." She said in an immensely relieved tone. "You lunatic, don't you ever do that again."

"But it was all part of my plan." Louise protested. She didn't managed to say more as she was slowly smothered by Kirche's increasingly intense hug.

"I mean it. Don't scare me like that."

Eventually, Louise was let go and took the opportunity to hungrily breathe in the air. She found Tabitha eyeing her with some intensity, looking her up and down and especially at where her wound had been.

"Healthy."

"Yes."

Louise wasn't if that was a question or a declaration, but answered it anyway. Nodding, Tabitha relented and the three begun to make their way back to the clearing. Louise walked with a little stagger, mindful of a wound that was no longer there. It didn't hurt in anyway either, she just felt like walking in that manner. She rationalized it as paying her respects to the departed injury. But perhaps she was just getting tired. Maybe she _could_ use a nap after all.

(***)

During the remaining part of the trip back to the academy, the mood was perpetually somber. Guiche and Montmorency had overcome the shock of the bandit attack but not quite the shock of witnessing what had happened to said bandits. Kirche had been very pleased that they had defeated the Gryson bandits, but her excitement was a bit subdued in light of what else had happened. She would also send Louise the occasional concerned look, which Louise continued to wave off. Even Tabitha seemed more quiet than usual, but as always, it was difficult to tell what was going on in her head.

Thankfully, they made it back to the academy without further incidents. A collective sigh of relief was breathed as they finally made it into the academy grounds proper. Although the mood lightened a bit, they still proceeded to the stables in silence. After they turned in their horses, Montmorency addressed them in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"W-well, we made it." She said, before pointing at Louise. "Valliére, thank you for helping with Guiche…and the water spirit too, I guess."

Louise gave a smile back. She knew Montmorency would come around eventually. The blonde still wasn't done, though.

"A-and you two." She continued gesturing to Kirche and Tabitha. "Thank you for protecting us from those bandits. And I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Protecting you was the reason we came along in the first place." Kirche said. "And you should thank Louise for that too, by the way."

"That's quite all right. I believe I have been thanked sufficiently. Also, you two, if you need help dealing with unwarranted feelings, feel free to ask me for help."

She did need some willing participants to practice the calming spell on, after all. And she could hardly be blamed if _they_ came to _her_ for help. But also, from a less callous perspective, she did like the feeling of helping others and if doing so could coincide with furthering her own abilities, then more the better. With a weak nod, Montmorency took off, hand in hand with Guiche. Louise watched the two walk for a while before facing the remaining two party members once Montmorency and Guiche were out of earshot.

"Quite an adventure this ended up being". She said.

"Quite." Kirche agreed. She sighed before continuing. "Listen, Louise…"

"Don't." Louise cut her off.

"Fine, be that way then." Kirche said, somewhat exasperated. "But I won't forget what you did. And I _will_ pay you back some day."

Louise smiled despite herself. That sounded more like the Kirche she knew. She wasn't feeling bad that Louise had saved her life as much as worrying about how to get even again.

"Looking forward to it." Louise said, with complete sincerity.

Smiles were exchanged, and the group finally broke up, Louise leaving for her room.

(***)

Unfortunately for Louise, she hadn't been allowed to just return to her room like that. Unbeknownst to her, someone had informed the academy infirmary of what had happened to her and she had been kidnapped in the hallways by none other than Céline Peltier, the head nurse. Without the option to refuse, she had once more been confined to an infirmary bed. Louise couldn't help but liken it to being thrown in a dungeon. She didn't entirely mind, though.

She was curious as to whether her spell really _had_ erased all traces of her wound. From what she knew of water magic, healing spells were usually pretty specific and no convenient 'cure all' spell existed. Louse believed her restorative spell to be a leap closer toward that ideal, but that didn't mean there couldn't be side effects. So getting a proper medical examination might not be so bad, after all. So did Louise try to cheer herself up as she resigned herself to Peltier's meticulous care.

(***)

In the end, it had taken two days before she was allowed to leave. The results were exactly as she had hoped: She was in perfect health. In high spirits, Louise finally returned to her room for the first time in something resembling a week. Everything looked just like she had left it and her furniture seemed to have finally dried completely.

Although she hadn't had a chance to anything productive while in the infirmary, she had spent the time to further plan out her immediate goals. For the first time since awakening to her powers, she was faced with something of a branching path. All she had done up until now had been in the pursuit of trying to understand the nature of her powers. And while that was still very much an ongoing endeavor, due to recent events Louise was starting to become equally interested in the _implications_ of her powers. She had readily accepted that she was a Void mage and while the legendary classification had seemed fitting to her at first, she had since come to realize that it wasn't as much a manner of her _being_ a Void mage but more that she was _chosen_ to be one. Chosen by whom? By **Kos** , obviously. But _why_? That was what really puzzled her.

Outside of such, more abstract considerations, Louise also had the more concrete problem of prioritizing her spell research. The fact that she now saw enough paths for herself that she couldn't feasibly go down them all at once (no matter what Colbert said) made her feel just a little proud of her progress. Yet the problem remained and she would need to shelve some projects for the time being. She knew which spell she wanted to focus on. With what basically amounted to a professional approval of the potency of her restoration spell, Louise wanted to pursue it further. Its casting was somewhat complex, mentally draining and possibly time consuming (she still hadn't found out how long she had been standing still while her wound disappeared). And yet, the spell's usefulness could not be denied. She expected that she could become more proficient at casting it with some old fashioned practice. Then there was the more difficult issue of figuring out how to cast the spell on other people than herself. Taking the bullet for Kirche had been the reasonable decision to take at the time, but that didn't mean she wanted to repeat the feat.

The whole battle against the Gryson bandits had also gotten Louise to realize that she was still woefully unprepared for combat. Even if her spells were powerful, they took a lot of time to cast, not to mention how easily she would get distracted. Seeing no real way to remedy this, she wanted to at least try and mitigate the effects thereof. So sparring matches with Kirche were back on the menu. Louise hoped that she could cultivate some manner of subconscious awareness or improve her reflexes so she wouldn't be a sitting duck in an actual battle. To that end, she would probably also need to add some more spells to her repertoire. If she was being completely honest, she only really had a single offensive spell. Even if she _had_ come up with a few variations to it by now. Some more variety to her offense and a couple of spells to help her defense would be ideal. However, the development of new spells would be put on the backburner for now, at least until she had better practice with the spells she currently knew. She only could only cast so many spells before exhaustion set in, after all.

With that in mind, Louis had chosen a more scholarly oriented project as the third and final thing she would pursue in the immediate future. She was still interested in runes, but she was getting just a little sick of the history thereof, or at the very least piecing said history together. So she decided to study the application of runes instead, beginning from the Familiar Summoning Ritual. Truth be told, she had no idea if it was even possible for her to summon a familiar, but if she did – well, then that might just help her combat potential. She didn't expect to summon anything, though. The Summoning Ritual just seemed to her to be a good start of a foray into rituals, being one of the most practiced rituals.

With a schedule consisting of spell research, practical spell practice and ritual studies, Louise had her work cut out for her. But she wouldn't have it any other way. At one point the world had seemed so bleak to her, all but closed off. But now, a much more wonderful and mysterious world had opened before her eyes. And Louise was eager to uncover as many secrets as she could.

(***)

It was while Louise was in the middle of committing her plans for the future to paper, that she heard a knocking on her door. Surprised, she glanced out her window. It was evening. Who would visit her at such a time? Nevertheless, she got out of her chair and went to open the door and greet the visitor.

"Good evening." She said.

That she did not get a greeting back but instead merely a nod, would be considered rude amongst most people. But Louise considered it par for the course, seeing as her visitor was none other than the ever reticent Tabitha.

"Well, would you like to come in?" Louise thought that it would be up to her to keep a conversation going.

With another nod, Tabitha entered her room. As Louise got out a few chairs, so that they could sit together around her table, she began wondering why the bluette had seen fit to visit her. She was likely going to find out soon but she couldn't help but be a little intrigued. Truth be told, she and Tabitha had rarely ever spoken together just the two of them and it was certainly the first time Tabitha had sought her out.

"What can I do for you?" Louise asked amiably as she sat down around the table.

In lieu of answering, Tabitha withdrew a jingling bag of coins for her cloak and place it on the table. Louise eyed the bag dubiously for second before turning to Tabitha for an explanation.

"Bounty." Tabitha supplied helpfully.

"Ah, for the Gryson fellows? Thanks, I suppose."

"Good work." Tabitha insisted.

"Thanks." Louise said, a little fore heartfelt this time. "You and Kirche did most of the work, though."

She only really got off a single spell. And even then, she had little doubt that either Tabitha or Kirche couldn't have finished off the thoroughly disorganized and panicking bandits that had fled right into said spell.

"Saved Kirche." Tabitha remarked, an unusual intensity creeping into her voice.

"Yes." Louise answered seriously, nodding. That _was_ something she had done, even if the act might not have been as entirely grounded in self-sacrifice as it could appear.

"How?" Tabitha then followed up.

"Pardon?" Louise asked a little confused. Has Kirche not told her how the whole thing went down? "Well, it all began when we ran into some sentries what would have seen to have been kept outside the battlefield…"

"No." Tabitha cut her off. She paused as if to carefully what few words she was going to use. "How did you survive?" she eventually asked.

"Ah, that. Well, after I got shot, I cast a spell to heal myself." Louise explained simply.

"No." Tabitha said again, turning her head down and grimacing a bit.

Louise was surprised by her annoyed tone, but it would seem that Tabitha was annoyed mainly at herself as she once more paused to consider her words.

"You know," Louise began. "I don't know you as well as Kirche does, and I'm not as good at reading body language as she is. I think it would be more beneficial for the sake of the conversation if you spoke up a little."

"Don't like it." Tabitha responded, still grimacing slightly. "Speaking."

"I see." Louise was curious as to why, but considered that straight up asking might be in bad taste. "Take your time, then."

She would just have to be patient, then. Tabitha nodded with a small smile on her face before she began considering her words, again. As silence reigned, Louise regretted never getting that tea set in case of unannounced guests. Now would be the perfect time to be sipping on a cup of tea to pass the time and not make the whole conversation more awkward than it already was. Eventually, Tabitha spoke up.

"Your wound. I saw it. Hit in liver. Fatal." She began.

Louise grimaced herself. Had it really been that bad? She really needed to stop getting fatally injured every time she fought.

"Yet, wound healed completely. Like it was never there. No such spell." As she got going, her usually quiet voice increased in intensity. "And with water spirit, you killed. I saw how powerful it was. And with Guiche, you did something, couldn't tell. Saw you float in air, not a wind spell. Even against bandits, never seen such a spell before. Should not be possible."

As she continued, she began leaning forward and frowning more and more. As she finished, her face was only a few centimeters from Louise's own and she had a look in her eyes that Louise had never seen before.

" _Not._ Water magic." She concluded.

 _Well, now_. Louise had no idea what to say. Should she admit to being a Void mage? Surely, Tabitha of all people could keep a secret, but why did the bluette seem so invested in this?

"And what, do you mean by that?" Louise answered, carefully keeping her voice slow and even, all while matching Tabitha's stare.

"The Moon. Have you seen it?" she asked, equally intensely.

Louise blinked in surprise at the non sequitur and then broke eye contact, trying to formulate a coherent response.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She admitted. "Also, there are two moons."

Was the question perhaps meant in a more poetic context with a deeper meaning that was just lost on her? She had no idea, but she didn't think that Tabitha would be one for poetry anyway. After attempting to stare some sort of confession out of her, Tabitha eventually relented and sat back in her chair with a quiet sigh. And once more, silence reigned. Louise was content not to say anything, unsure of what had just happened.

"Know someone." Tabitha broke the silence. "Has magic to do impossible things. Talks about the Moon. Says we are blind."

Well, _that_ certainly got Louise's interest.

"And who is this, may I ask?" she inquired. "And what does it have to do with me?" she hurriedly added to not appear _too_ interested.

However, Tabitha only shook her head. It seemed she was reluctant to share her secrets any further. "Your healing spell." She said instead, returning to what Louise now realized was her original question. "Can it heal any injury?" The intense look was back.

"I'm not so sure. "Louise answered honestly, finger on her chin. "It's not so much a healing spell as it is a restoration spell, actually. It doesn't fix what is broken. It _undoes_ the injury entirely." At least, that was the purpose of the spell. "In theory, it should work on anything short of death, but I haven't really had much practice with it yet." If Tabitha was going to be so serious about it, she would at least give a proper answer.

Tabitha was quiet for another while, seemingly lost in thought.

"What of illness?" she asked.

"Hmm." Louise grunted back.

She hadn't thought about illnesses. Conceptually, an illness was basically the same as injury, right? It could also certainly be continued as _part_ of someone. But what if it too integral a part? At what point would a person with a disease be defined by said disease? Louise didn't know but it certainly got her thinking. _Maybe I can even…_

"The short answer is that I don't know." She cut her own wishful thinking short. "The longer answer is that I think it's possible. And further development of my restoration spell happens to be my first priority going forward." She continued, eyeing Tabitha's reaction.

For a short while, a light lit up in her blue eyes.

"Teach me."

That got Louise to stop again.

"I'm not sure that's possible." She said, brows furrowed in thought.

"Because I am blind?" Tabitha asked. There was a certain bitterness to her tone.

"We are all born blind." Louise tried diplomatically.

"Then how do I see?" Tabitha persisted.

"That's a dangerous idea." Louie cautioned. "Madness lurks in the unseen."

At least, that was her experience of using 'Eye' before she learned to tune it all out. Tabitha didn't seem to appreciate this response either, if the grimace on her face was anything to go by. Louise had never before seen the girl as verbose or as expressive she was being now.

"Then what about you?" she tried instead.

"I'm not mad." Louise denied. The occasional fit of laughter aside, she was as sound as could be. After all, she had a certain bulwark to guard her mind.

"How?" Tabitha begun leaning in over the table again.

"We're getting away from the point." Louise said. "I can't teach you because I don't know how and that's the truth. Any further reaches into details I do not currently wish to share. I believe it is fair to say that we both have our secrets and leave it at that, for now."

If Tabitha wasn't about to be forthcoming with what she knew, then neither was Louise. She wasn't entirely happy with that solution and she doubted that Tabitha was either, but in truth, she wasn't actually that close to the diminutive ice mage. But that was something that could change.

"Look, Tabitha. " Louise began, trying to voice her thoughts. "We're friends, right? At least sort of. I mean, _I_ would like to consider you as a friend."

Louise noticed that she had begun rambling and paused for a while to gather her thoughts properly and say something more coherent.

"The point is, I don't know from where your interest in the restoration spells stems, but I suppose it doesn't matter. I _do_ want to help you. As a friend, you know? I'll keep you updated on my progress and in the meantime we can both take some time to think about how to talk to each other regarding this whole thing." She said gesturing about with her hand. "How about it?"

Tabitha took a while and visibly calmed down. She eventually nodded.

"Friend". She said, falling back into her usual speech pattern, but smiling slightly. "Need help?"

"Not at the moment, no." Louise answered. "Eventually I will need some willing participants to test the spell on, but unless you can get sick on command, that's a no-go." She followed up jokingly.

"Potions." Tabitha responded, with complete sincerity.

"It was just a joke." Louise waved her off. "Besides, testing is still way off. I first need to figure out how to cast the spell on someone other than myself. So there's no need for you to help just yet."

"Although…" a thought suddenly came to her.

Tabitha responded with a raised eyebrow, causing Louise to continue.

"A friendly chat with your acquaintance might yield some insight into my own work. If what you said about our similarities in magic holds true, that is. Do you think I could meet them?"

Tabitha paused to consider this for a while. "Maybe."

Well, that was probably as good as it was going to get. With the conversation over, Louise led Tabitha to the door. She bid her new friend a good night which was returned verbally this time. Small steps.

(***)

The following day, Louise decided that she would fully engross herself in the development of her restoration spell. She would return to her other 'primary' projects once she had achieved some results with this. She had decided to the sensible thing and had once more gone to Osmond, telling him that she wanted to try out a new void spell. As she had expected, she had once more been let to the warded room of the academy where potentially dangerous spells could be tested somewhat safely. A bit overkill considering the nature of the spell she wanted to practice, but precautions never hurt anyone. Reluctantly, once Louise had explained that she was currently unable to cast the spell on anyone other than herself, she had been allowed a scalpel form the infirmary with which to cut herself. Just enough to draw blood she was warned. Louise thought it amusing that the two grown men in the room with her seemed more squeamish about the whole affair than she did. Really, what was the big deal? It didn't even hurt.

"Well then, I shall begin now." She said out loud for the benefit of Osmond and Colbert.

"Yes. You may proceed, Miss Valliére." Osmond said. "Know that we have alerted our head nurse in the case that anything goes wrong."

 _Oh no, not again_. Louise gulped. She couldn't afford to mess this up. "Here we go".

With the scalpel, she drew a shallow cut across her arms, just about enough to draw blood. Satisfied that she had a 'proper' wound, she put away the scalpel, withdrew her wand and put on the blindfold.

As the world was replaced by water, Louise began to focus. Her arm was part of herself. Obviously. Her arm now bore a cut. Was it then not still her arm and thus the cut now a part of her? Clearly. Then, like she had done so many times before, Louise wished for a part of her to return to the sea, to become nothing.

"Restore."

Once again, a strange feeling washed over her arm. Louise let the feeling run its course before she took off the blindfold and inspected her arm.

The cut had disappeared without a trace.

Smiling at her own success, Louise showed off her arm to the two men.

"Remarkable." Said Colbert as he traced a finger through where the cut had been.

"Quite." Agreed Osmond. "Even with only a minor cut, for it to close that fast reminds me of the triangle class water spell 'Regeneration'. Impressive, certainly."

"Oh? How long did it take?" Louise asked curiously. "And can you tell me more about that regeneration spell?"

"Of course. I would say it took about two minutes for the cut to heal. Quite fast. As for the 'Regeneration' spell, it is considered the cornerstone of many advanced healing spells. In essence, it speeds up the body's natural recovery, making healing of small wounds exceptionally fast and without any fear of side effects. It cannot, however, be used to treat wounds which would not normally heal on their own. However, owing to its nature, the spell can be safely cast in almost all cases and is often used to briefly stabilize a more serious injury until more powerful and specialized spells can be applied. Of course, to treat any such injury requires days or even weeks."

Louise took a little while to digest the impromptu lecture. It really highlighted the differences between her own spell and the water type healing spells. No wonder Tabitha had asked how she survived that bullet wound. And if her spell was already in the realm of the impossible, who was to say that it had limits? She smiled.

"All very interesting. Let us continue."

(***)

In the end, Louise had practiced to the point of near exhaustion. She was, truth been told, also becoming a little weary of cutting herself any further and, as she left the room, she was nursing her arm. There were no cuts on it, of course, but she almost imagined there to be. Too much conceptualization of wounds as part of herself, perhaps. But she had certainly made progress, improving the rate at which the injuries disappeared significantly. Louise had originally planned to practice the spell further in secret, against more grievous injuries, but not only was that an incredibly bad idea when she thought about it now, she also currently wasn't feeling up to it. So she would need a little time to recover.

As she sat in the dining hall to have lunch, she noticed Guiche out of the corner of her eye. He seemed about what he remembered him as, gesturing dramatically about something she couldn't quite make out. Not surprisingly, with him was Montmorency and the two would occasionally exchange tender glances when they thought others weren't looking. They were, of course, incredibly unsubtle about it but Louise smiled despite herself. They appeared to be close and it was nice to see they got something other than trauma out of the whole trip. Lost in such idle thoughts, Louise didn't notice someone sat down next to her.

"An ecu for your thoughts?"

"Two." Answered Louise after a moment's consideration, attempting to bargain.

"No deal. Sheesh, Louise, didn't Tabby give you your part of the bounty already, what's with the fleecing?" responded Kirche, arms crossed.

"It's a seller's market." Louise said absentmindedly, not even sure herself what that was supposed to mean.

"Yes, I'm sure. Anyway, I heard you wanted me to beat you some more in sparring matches?"

Louise had brought up the possibility when Kirche had popped while she was still in the infirmary.

"I _did_ promise to annihilate you, didn't I? Well, a noble always keep their promises."

"Then, shall we got get Colbert right now?" Kirche asked excitedly.

"Actually, I've spent all morning casting spells, so I'm a bit exhausted. We'll have to schedule for tomorrow." Louse said, well aware of how lame that sounded.

"Well, that's fine too I suppose. But I was thinking, you want to gain some experience with actual battle, yeah? Then maybe it's time to turn it up a notch."

"Meaning?" Louise asked, dubious. That last part sounded dangerous.

"A simple change of the rules." Kirche said, before looking at Louise with a seriousness to her. "No referee. Fight until forfeit."

Louise was right, that _was_ dangerous. But the benefits of having a more 'real' fight were numerous. And no pain, no gain as they say. She would just trust that Kirche knew what she was doing.

"I accept."

(***)

The following day, during the afternoon and after Louie had gotten in a little extra practice of her restoration spell, the two girls left the academy and entered the surrounding woodlands. Apparently, Kirche knew of a clearing far enough out of the way as to be suitable for their purposes. With flat, even ground free of even grass, the clearing did indeed seem ideal.

"You seem to have a fondness for clearings." Louise remarked.

"Not really. They just so happen to be useful from time to time. Tabitha and I have used this placed for practice a couple of times before."

"That explains the lack of flora."

"Yes, we cleared out the place to lessen the risk of a forest fire. Though, if I _do_ end up causing one, putting it out will be _your_ responsibility." Kirche said cheerfully.

"An excellent division of labor." Louise agreed sarcastically. "Are you sure we shouldn't have persuaded Tabitha to go with us?"

"It'll be fine." Kirche responded, with a wave of her hand. "Don't underestimate my control. Besides, we have Flame here to keep an eye on things. If anything gets out of hand, he'll interrupt the match or go get help."

While that made some degree of sense, Louise was also sure that that was not the only reason why Kirche had brought along her familiar. The lizard had been alternating between giving her smug and sorrowful looks then entire time they were walking. Like it was watching a funeral procession but had never really liked the deceased that much, anyway. Was it trying to demoralize her or just upset her? It was working. Leave it to Kirche to summon the most insufferable lizard Louise had ever heard of. Then again, familiars _were_ said to take after their masters.

She broke of the staring contest with Flame she had engaged in without realizing, before clearing her throat.

"Ahem. I shall trust you to know what you're doing." She magnanimously told Kirche. "Then, shall we begin?"

"Yes, let us." Kirche answered with an amused smile on her face. "Though just to make sure we're on the same page here: This may be a more 'real' match and if one of us gets hit by a spell it _should_ hurt, but we both still hold back, yeah?"

"Right." Louise nodded understandingly. She had had a firsthand view of what their spells could do to someone when they didn't hold back.

"Good." Kirche said, taking a stance Louise recognized as her battle ready posture.

"Then, begin!"

(***)

Louise jumped away from the fireball in time, but had underestimated the blast radius as the resulting explosion sent her tumbling. She hit the ground but recovered with a clumsy roll which made another tear in her by now tattered uniform. As soon as she got up, she jumped back from the follow-up attack she knew was coming and aimed her own spell a Kirche. A thin jet of water flowing at impressive speed shot out from her wand but Kirche dodged it before retaliating with yet another exploding fireball. In the empty clearing, there was no way to take cover so all she could try was to get as far out of the blast radius as possible. Not an easy feat as evidence by the state of her uniform. What was worse, she hadn't been able to hit Kirche _once_ , the redhead was just too nimble. But that was about to change.

Louise had been running around the clearing in what might seem like a random pattern but she had a plan, and both her and Kirche's current positions were near ideal for the fruition of said plan. Louise looked at the incoming fireball and, with a battle cry, jumped directly into it.

It wasn't a suicidal maneuver. Just before she was hit, she was suddenly accelerated upwards and forward, in a path headed straight for the baffled Kirche. Before the battle began, Louse had briefly scoped out the presence of any unseen currents. As luck would have, there was one flowing unobstructed from exactly where she had previously been standing and into the air. Without Sight, she couldn't control the currents, but she could still make use of them if she knew where they were. And now, with her sudden burst of speed, she had the first clear shot at Kirche since the battle began.

"Take this!"

As she didn't have to bother dodging the exploding fireball, she had had the much needed time to concentrate on a proper spell. Multiple jets of water spewed forth from her wand in a shower which Kirche couldn't possibly dodge entirely. Apparently, the redhead wasn't even going to try.

"Wall of Flame!"

From the ground, tall flames suddenly shot up, forming something resembling a wall. The water jets didn't all evaporate, but it certainly weakened the attack and at the same time created an obscuring mist of steam. But that was fine. Louise just needed more time.

 _Soon…_

Unfortunately, time wasn't on her side. Louise had neglected to plan for the fact that she couldn't evade at all while she was still sailing through the air. And Kirche had that detestable homing fireball spell. She used the precious seconds while the redhead was chanting said spell to prepare her next move. She couldn't avoid taking the hit, so we at least get something out it. While further solidifying her focus, Louie was hit point blank.

The impact had her sailing through the air, but this time in a completely uncontrolled fashion. She hit the ground, hard. The air was knocked out of her lungs, but it wasn't enough to break her concentration. Louse was getting better at dealing with pain.

"Just give up Louise! Before you get hurt more!"

Kirche shouted through the steam that was still preventing them from seeing each other.

 _Give up? But we're just getting started._

Louise released the spell she had been building, aiming it at the ground.

And put on her blindfold.

(***)

Kirche had seen Louise get thrown through the air, but apparently that hadn't been enough to dissuade the pinkette. Perhaps she had been right, the girl really _was_ a masochist. But that didn't matter now. She wasn't about to go easy on Louise, even if she was hurt. Kirche began chanting another homing fireball. The lack in visibility had seemed a boon to her at first, but now she was getting a bad feeling. She couldn't see Louise, but surely the girl was planning something. No matter. She might be a specialist, but she hadn't been hanging around Tabitha for so long without picking up a few tricks.

She let the homing fireball fly in the direction she thought Louise had retreated to, before she began chanting another spell. A wind spell.

"Disperse!"

A stiff wind blew through the clearing, taking the cloud of steam with it. When Kirche finally got a good look at the surroundings, her fears were proven correct. Louise _had_ been up to something. From where the pinkette stood, a ripple spread through the ground, turning the hard dirt into a swampy mush.

 _Shit. When did she…?_

This wasn't good. She couldn't move properly in such terrain. She would need to finish the fight, and soon. Taking advantage of Louise's apparent distracted state, she fired another fireball at the pinkette, this one more powerful.

Louise didn't appear to make an attempt at evasion, instead just bracing herself for the impact. Did she misjudge the power of the spell? Big mistake. The fireball hit Louise straight on, knocking her back, but not off her feet. It _did_ cause large sear across her chest though, blowing off smoldering pieces of her abused uniform. This was surely the end. But then, Louise began doing what she did best.

Kirche cursed under her breath. She hadn't noticed it. Her attention had been too drawn to Louise's damaged and almost indecent state that she hadn't noticed an important detail. Louise was wearing her stupid blindfold. And she was laughing. That was never a good sign.

She needed to interrupt whatever Louise was doing. She cast the fastest spell she could manage, the dot class fireball. Once more, Louise didn't even try to dodge, but took the fireball head on, this time without flinching. The further destruction of the pinkette's uniform didn't seem to be a bother as she turned to face her with a world class shit-eating grin on her face.

"Restore."

Before her very eyes, Kirche watched astonished as any and all traces of being hurt just…disappeared from Louise. Burns, scratches, soot marks, it was all gone. What manner of cheating was this!

 _Wait. Was that the same spell she used when…?_

Kirche shook her head to quickly get the sudden thought out of her head. It wasn't too late yet.

She changed that opinion when she cast another glance at Louise. Or specifically, above Louise, where it seemed an entire lake's worth of water was gathered in a massive ball.

"Oh, no. Not _that_ spell."

(***)

 _Oh, yes. Exactly that spell!_

Louise had been gathering unseen water ever since the fight began and now, with her blindfold on, she

could control it, commanding it to materialize. And materialize, it did. Her earlier spell had done its work too. The ground had been turned completely to mud by now. It was impossible to run. And this spell couldn't be dodged. This was the end. With the prospect of victory in her grasp, Louise shouted out:

"Flood!"

(***)

It was a very wet and generally very miserable Kirche that Louise managed to fish out of the new pond

which had formed in the clearing. As soon as she got out of the water, she began coughing uncontrollably before taking deep breaths. She was soaked to the bone, and looked somewhat akin to a drowned rat but ultimately no worse for wear.

"You…were…cheating." She managed to get out. "That…healing spell…is unfair."

"Ah, but healing spells are a proud part of the school of water magic. Don't be such a sore loser." Louise said, as she began patting Kirche on the shoulder in a consoling manner.

"Bah, you're right." The redhead eventually admitted once she had regained control of her breathing. "I admit defeat."

As if the admission physically hurt her, she begun shivering from the cold.

"I think I can make the water disappear from your clothes." Louise said expressing some manner of concern. She didn't want Kirche to get sick, after all. "Do you want to me to?"

"No thanks, I got it." Kirche answered. "Just give me a moment."

Louise nodded and took a step back. It was then that she noticed Flame observing his master. As soon as the lizard saw her looking, he gave her an evil look, which was quickly thereafter replaced by what would seem to be concern for his master. Louise realized that with all the water in the area, the salamander was reluctant to approach Kirche. She almost felt bad for it. As a sort of consolation, she reached her dry hand down and gave it a pat on the head. It gave her a weird look but didn't seem to mind. Thusly encouraged, Louse knelt down beside it. Now appearing to have its full attention, she gently lowered her head and whispered into its ear.

"Y _ou're next."_

Giggling as the salamander quickly retreated with a horrified look on its face, Louise stood back up only to come face to face with a somewhat dryer but still unamused looking Kirche.

"Louise. Stop being mean to my familiar."

Louise was about to protest that the salamander was the one who started it, but the realized how that would come across. Instead, she just hurriedly changed the topic.

"Well, that was fun. Shall we head back?"

Kirche looked at her with narrowed eyes for just a bit before responding.

"It was." She agreed. "And yes, let's head back."

Kirche's signature amused smile was back on her face. What was that about?

Halfway back, Louise found out as she finally noticed the state of her clothing. Or rather, lack thereof. Large parts of her uniform were either burned, tattered or missing entirely. And of course, Kirche had neglected to mention this fact to her. Louise groaned, an act met only with amused giggles.

They actually made quite the pair as they returned to the academy. In a show of solidarity, Kirche had stopped drying herself and still looked like she had been the victim of a tragic accident involving a lake. In contrast, Louise was completely dry, but her burnt and tattered clothing told the story of someone who had picked a fight with some sort of fire drake. At this point, she had just decided to own up to that and not be embarrassed about it. So Louise carried herself like someone who had picked a fight with a fire drake and _won_.

Besides, someone had to give the academy rumor mongers something to talk about.

(***)

After the, by now customary, post-battle bath and a nice dinner, Louise retreated to her room. She felt exhausted, but satisfied. She had actually beaten Kirche. On their way back, they had discussed the match, and Kirche had weighed in that while her healing spell was undoubtedly potent, relying on being able to take hits and heal off the damage was a dangerous strategy. Louise had agreed, too. She shouldn't shirk her training just because she was getting better at casting her restorative spell. On the other hand, the fact that she had managed to cast it quickly enough to actually turn the tide in something resembling an actual battle made her feel almost giddy. It was nice to see that subjecting her arm to being cut up so much, was paying off.

With her general good mood and thoughts far away as usual, Louise almost didn't notice that someone had left a note on her desk. She had actually been planning to call it a day, but when she went to retrieve some of her notes from her desk to reread before going to sleep, she was alerted to its presence. The note was definitely not something she had written and then forgot about, it was written on a different kind of parchment than what she used. The handwriting was also much more elaborate than the scrawls she produced. Curious, Louise read the note's contents.

 _Have you ever gone stargazing? The night sky is beautiful, especially during the full Moon._

Well, now. Was this a message from Tabitha's mysterious acquaintance? Based on the timing, she couldn't really think of any other possibility. Certainly no one she knew would leave her such a cryptic note. Perhaps it was meant as a test of sorts? She found the thought somewhat distasteful, but if the sender of the note indeed was in a similar situation to herself as she expected, then it would make sense for them to be secretive. She would have to decipher this message, then.

That is, assuming it _was_ actually something to be deciphered and not meant literally. Based on the script and prose though, Louise would think it to be poetry and with that came ambiguity. Clearly, the notion of a 'full Moon' was given emphasis. But _which_ moon? Either of the two moons could be full at any given time. Or both of them, actually, now that she thought about it. But if she remembered correctly, such an occurrence was relatively rare, happening only every few years. Perhaps 'Moon' referred not to a celestial body, but to something else entirely. It was capitalized after all, suggesting the existence of only one 'Moon'. But then why mention the night sky and stargazing? Was that too, meant as a metaphor?

Louise sighed to herself. This was going nowhere. She would have to change tracks. Assuming that this wasn't a welcome letter from the Secret Association of Poetically Inclined Astronomers (the existence of which she denied), then this was meant as a message specifically for her. From someone who _might_ be in a similar situation to her, but who was clearly unwilling to tip their hand. Putting herself in their shoes, if _she_ was to contact someone who she believed to be 'in the know', in a manner vague enough for them to understand, but not explicit enough to possibly be used against her, how would she phrase it? She sighed again, this time in an amused manner. It was obvious, wasn't it? She would ask if they had laid eyes on the sea. She would probably even capitalize 'Sea' just to emphasize its importance. Another amused sigh escaped her. Perhaps the message was meant literally after all.

(***)

As a matter of fact, Louise _had_ previously gone stargazing. Back when she was younger and still lived in the La Vallière estate, she would sometimes (a bit more often than she would have liked, actually) run away into the night to cry or brood or just think. Back then, she had yet to fully realize her potential for self-reflection and so she would eventually run out of things to think about. So, needing something else to occupy her mind, she had turned to stargazing. It made her feel small, which she liked, but it ultimately failed to hold her attention for too long. Beautiful as it might be, the night sky was also very static in nature, and looking at it would eventually get boring.

At least, that was what her younger, and much less patient self, had thought of stargazing. The current her was actually looking forward to it, perhaps due to nostalgia. Regardless, once nighttime rolled around, Louise had gone the extra mile and had climbed the observation tower to get the best view possible. As for _why_ the academy had an observation tower, she didn't know. After all, there were no astronomy classes currently being taught. Then again, the academy was quite old, astrology might have been part of the curriculum at some point. It really didn't matter, the point was that she had a clear and unobstructed view of the sky. In the dim starlight, she looked at the mysterious note again.

 _The night sky is beautiful. Especially during the full Moon._

Well, she would at least agree with the first part. Louise had a smile on her face as she looked at the sky. She couldn't help but be reminded of her younger self, sitting in a similar position, only teary-eyed, or angry, or dejected, looking for a meaning to her life and finding none. To think she would now recall such a situation with a certain fondness - nostalgia was a powerful thing indeed. She wanted to go back to her younger self, and give her a pat on the shoulder and tell her: Don't give up. One day, you shall find a meaning to your life more profound than you can possibly imagine. With such thoughts on her mind, she looked at the sky. The cold didn't bother her. The rough stone floor she was sitting on wasn't uncomfortable. Her neck wasn't being strained. For a while, Louise cast it all away and just admired the stars.

(***)

At some point, she emerged from her reverie. Stargazing was rather nice actually, she wondered if she should take it up as a hobby. She did often find herself with the need to relax for a while, after all. However, relaxation was not her purpose for coming out tonight. Louise tore her eyes from the stars and finally began observing the moons. The larger of the two, Janera, was nearly full and its surface, illuminated by white light, stood out brilliantly against the dark night sky. The smaller moon, Epimeris, was only visible near the edge of the sky, giving off light of a faintly blue hue.

Louise took a deep breath and prepared herself. She was about to do something she had never done before. If her hunch was right, then the note was telling her to get a 'proper' look at the night sky. But frankly, the sky was mostly just in the way of a much grander spectacle. For beyond it lay a sea, enveloping all of the world. Louise knew herself well enough to know what her eyes would be drawn towards, should she look at the sky. So she had to resort to extreme measures: She would attempt to block out the presence of water from her perception. The idea didn't sit well with her, but she had little other choice if she was to follow the note's instructions.

With a small prayer, she kindly asked the waters not to show themselves to her. There was no greater proof of the sea's benevolence than the fact that even such ungrateful feelings were accepted. With a final determined sigh, Louise rose to her full height and put on her blindfold, condemning herself to whatever madness lay beyond her mundane vision.

(***)

The first thing she noticed was contrast. The sky seemed much darker, and yet the stars were now much brighter. They appeared closer too, seeming to loom just over her head. The deep blackness of the sky spoke to her of a solitary existence far removed from everything. It made her feel lonely and she didn't like it. The stars, which should provide a reprieve from this just served to exacerbate a feeling of being unwelcome, their visage appearing menacing. Just what was she looking at? Louise noticed that she had begun to shiver from the cold. It was more than just a matter of temperature. The cold reached from her skin and into her bones and even further. As Louise stood there shaking, she finally understood. The sky she was looking at was just a projection of something else. A dark, cold, and lonely place. The Cosmos. And she had come to gaze at one of its denizens.

Just like the stars, Janera looked much bigger and closer to her than before, giving off a nearly blinding white light that was nevertheless sucked into the depth of the surrounding void. Louise looked around to find Epimeris only see it still teetering on the edge of the sky. Yet that seemed about to change.

Before her eyes, the small moon began to rapidly wax. It progressed through phases which should take weeks in what seemed to Louise a matter of minutes. As more and more of it became visible, Louise noticed that it no longer gave off the faintly blue light from before. Instead, it began emanating a sinister hue of red. Eventually, it reached the end of its cycle and Louise now looked intensely at the twin full moons. A certain sense of foreboding ran through her. Epimeris didn't stop. Breaking from its usual orbit, it kept moving closer to Janera. Were they about to collide? No, it was something else, but equally as unprecedented. Epimeris seemed about to eclipse Janera. Astounded, Louise just watched as the two moons inched ever closer to one another. And then, Louise had to shield herself from the light.

The light was so bright it hurt her eyes. Like staring directly at the sun, a small black dot had formed in her vision. Yet she retained her gaze, the black dot then becoming superimposed upon the sight of Epimeris eclipsing Janera. Finally, she understood what was meant in the note. Why it said 'full'. Merged with the white backdrop of Janera was the smaller Epimeris, still radiating a much too bright shade of red light. Clearly, they were two parts of the same entity. Of the same Moon. A Moon which now hang in the sky, taking the shape of a giant eyeball, aimed straight at her.

Louise looked at the Moon.

It looked back.

Immediately, her arms went to her head as a pain ran through it, emanating from her eyes. She covered them with both her hands which eased it slightly. But then, she felt a rumbling run through her whole body. She fell to her knees and begun breathing heavily, but held on to her consciousness. She recognized this sensation. It was a voice.

But not a gentle voice. From it, she got a feeling of dread or perhaps desperation. It was not a voice uttered with care but a declaration made to anything that could hear it. And Louise would listen. As was only natural. With grit teeth and hands curled up so tightly into fists that they were shaking, Louise paid attention. It would not do, to not listen to the mutterings of a Great One.

 **Moon.**

 **Blood.**

Each word she made out, hit her with the force of a physical blow and she could feel her blood boiling. Her grip on her consciousness started to grow fainter. But she held on, still. The rumbling was subsiding, the declaration over. Yet, a new noise took its place. She still felt it with all of her body, but it was more subdued, more subtle. Not a pronouncement shouted from the heavens, but instead a message, meant just for her.

 **Descendant.**

Having barely made out the meaning, Louise finally succumbed, tearing off the blindfold and laying down.

(***)

Surprising even herself, Louise didn't lose her consciousness. But then again, she had help. After removing the blindfold, Louise let the sea back into her mind. Its familiar presence served to greatly calm her frayed nerves. And yet Louise was still left shaken by the ordeal. With an effort of will, she slowly got up, noticing a few drops of blood falling from her face. She restrained herself from panicking, but began to more quickly drag herself towards the stairs leading down from the observatory tower. She felt exposed beneath the open night sky.

With some difficulty, Louise made it back to her room. The mysterious bleeding had thankfully stopped on the way and she had managed to regain her calm. Mostly, anyway. Fortunately, Louise had a place to further retreat to. A sanctuary where she was sure to be safe. Not even bothering with taking off her clothes, Louise lay down in her bed and made for the land of dreams.

(***)

Relief. That was the feeling which met Louise as she once again found herself floating on top of the bottomless sea. Finally, she could relax. It was something she had needed, too. Even while dreaming, she had apparently held on to her tension, but now it was leaving her body, just another of the maladies the sea was willing to cure her off. Finally, she could relax. She could _think_.

There was no doubt about it. What she had seen, what she had heard, it was another Great One. She supposed that it made sense. Human religion made a big deal of the existence of only one God, one being to tower over humanity. But why would Great Ones care for such drivel? Surely, there could be many of them. But to think one had placed itself in plain sight. The twin moons, observed by all people of Halkeginia across millennia. And yet so few had ever truly seen them, the two parts forming a whole. But now, Louise could count herself among the people who had seen the full Moon. And indeed, there were more, or at the very least, there was _one_ more person to have seen it. If so, then Louise supposed that would make them a Void mage.

Tabitha had spoken of her acquaintance wielding magic to do the impossible. Had they derived such spells from the Moon? She wondered how. Whereas calling on the sea seemed intuitive to her, she had only uncertainty regarding how to utilize the Moon – should she even wish to do so. It had mentioned 'blood', something which made her a bit uneasy. She remembered her own blood reacting to its words, even going so far as to begin to leak from her body. She didn't like it. Furthermore, it had called her 'descendant'. Descendant how? With a certain sense of disquiet, she began contemplating what power lay hidden in her blood.

As Louise lay on her back, floating along the sea, she noticed a change in her surroundings. Normally, when she was lost in thought, the outside world might as well not exist. But in her dream, with its sparse and very much static scenery, a small change was enough to bring her out of her thoughts. The sky was different. It had always been a featureless grey, hidden behind a multitude of clouds. Yet now, she could see a spherical body outlined against the clouds, light barely streaming from it through the cloud cover. Her surroundings in the dream were always well lit. Was this then a rare glance of the sun which she had just missed from previous times?

As Louise looked with interest, the body became clearer and clearer, the light growing in intensity from barely visible to a brighter shine. And it was not the sun. It was the Moon. Louise began frowning, but did not take her eyes off it or otherwise move. She would not allow herself to be unnerved. Not here. So she instead watched somewhat intently but still with a sense of detachment as the Moon further lowered itself. It eventually settled in the sky, giving off light, faintly tinted red.

"Why have you come here?" Louise asked aloud but otherwise made no movement.

Almost like an unvoiced answer to her question, a black ichor began dripping from the edge of the Moon. Frowning further, Louise stood up to better observe. The strange substance made a hissing sound as it hit the water surface but did not sink. It instead began to coalesce, forming a pile of black goo. The spill continued, until a human sized pile lay on the water surface. As the ichor stopped dripping from the Moon, the black mass instead began twisting and contorting into a shape. Louise saw hands and feet emerge, and eventually she was met with the sight of a human figure near completely covered by a deep black cloak. The cloak cast a shadow over their eyes, but Louise could make out the mouth. They were smiling. A distinctly female voice rang out.

"Greetings, fellow Seeker of Truth".

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **(***)**

 **A few of you asked regarding the existing of other Great Ones in this take on the FoZ universe. I didn't answer, due to it being somewhat of a spoiler, but hopefully this chapter establishes that there is more going on in Halkeginia than meets the eye. Perhaps even more than what meets the Eye. Believe me, this story is just getting started.**


	10. Woeful Messenger

**A Call Beyond  
Chapter Ten: Woeful Messenger**

After some internal deliberation, Louise answered the cloaked stranger in a composed manner.

"Good evening."

While her outward demeanor told of someone completely unperturbed, inwardly, Louise watched the stranger with a careful eye, wary of what they might be up to. She did not know how they had managed to enter her dream, but she did not like it.

The stranger apparently had either not heard her greeting, or had otherwise decided not to respond. Instead, they - or perhaps she, Louise thought seemed content to just stand on the surface of the sea and look around.

"So this is your dream?" they said eventually. "…Magnificent."

Well, perhaps they could be reasoned with after all, Louise thought. Come to think of it, hadn't she previously had good experiences with cloaked females showing up unannounced? She decided to be a little more forthcoming.

"My name is Louise de La Vallière. I welcome you to this dream."

"Most gracious of you, Lady Vallière," The stranger responded, turning to face her. Louise was now absolutely certain that they were female. "I am Sheffield. Apprentice to the Heir of the Moon."

An odd title, Louise thought. But Sheffield had stated it with a certain pride. Perhaps there was more to it? Though for now, Louise had more important questions.

"You made quite the dramatic entrance, Lady Sheffield," Louise remarked. She wasn't certain that this person was a noble, but if Sheffield was going to be formal about it, she would respond in kind.

"Did I startle you? Apologies." Contrary to her words, Sheffield's smirk increased. Perhaps she enjoyed barging into other people's dreams?

"Well, never mind that," Louise said while sighing internally. "I'm more interested in how you found me."

"My path is eternally lit by moonlight, it is impossible for me to stray," Sheffield responded.

"Is that so? I did not believe the Moon to be capable of such … subtlety."

Like she had thought, the Moon was involved in some way. But what a needlessly convoluted way of putting it. Louise thought she could sense the author of that mysterious note behind Sheffield's words.

"Ah, your words reveal your ignorance," Sheffield said, shaking her head in a sad manner. "The Moon governs not what _is_ , but rather all that which _could be_. And what is a dream, but a possibility?"

Louise nodded thoughtfully. That made _some_ sense. Though it still did not answer her original question.

"Then, in what must surely be an infinite landscape of possibilities, how did you find you way here to my dream?"

In response, Sheffield pointed upwards. "As I said before, my path is lit by moonlight. When it shines so brightly, how could I possibly lose my way?"

Louise frowned slightly. So the Moon had led Sheffield straight to her.

"Was that why you left me the note?" she asked. "Should I live up to your expectations, you would be able to seek me out."

"Precisely," answered Sheffield. "I hope you can understand the need for secrecy in these matters. But more importantly, tell me what you saw."

Whereas before, Sheffield had still been admiring the scenery, she had now turned her full attention towards Louise.

"In the sky, I saw Janera and Epimeris come together, showing their true form, a single Moon. It then spoke to me," Louise relayed.

Louise had been wrong before. She hadn't had Sheffield's full attention. _Now_ she had her full attention.

"You say It spoke to you?"

She seemed incredulous, going so far as to pause momentarily. When she spoke next, her tone had grown a little more intense.

"Then you have been blessed. Tell me, of what did It speak?

Louise paused, considering her words carefully.

"It spoke to me of blood and ancestry," she replied simply.

While it was hard to judge the facial expression of someone who had everything but their mouth covered by the shadow of their hood, just now, Louise was certain that Sheffield just widened her eyes in surprise.

"Then, you truly _have_ been blessed. Please forgive my earlier presumptuousness, milady."

Louise raised an eyebrow. That was quite the turnaround in attitude.

"Think nothing of it. You were right: I _am_ ignorant. Yet I desire to learn."

"Yes! Of course. Such a desire befits you, fellow Seeker. Once seen, the truth cannot be unseen. But that only makes the pursuit of it more enticing. We are but moths to a flame in our search."

Sheffield's voice was becoming notably more frantic. But Louise could sympathize. She felt much the same, after all.

"It would seem we are indeed kindred spirits," she said with a smile. "Perhaps then we can share what we have learned? I wish to know more of the Moon."

Louise was now completely convinced that this Sheffield was a fellow Void mage. She grinned inwardly. They would no doubt have a lot they could learn from each other. And yet, Sheffield once more shook her head, although this time she seemed genuinely remorseful.

"Our art cannot truly be taught. And I am no teacher. The truth is something that must be seen for oneself."

Louise felt disappointed, but nodded in understanding anyway. She could understand where Sheffield was coming from. She had told Tabitha something similar, after all.

"Yet fret not, Child of the Moon," Sheffield went on. "You are fated to be our ally. Arm yourself with patience. A time of reckoning is upon us."

Sheffield's voice grew to be become more and more frantic until she was practically shouting.

"When blood runs like a river through the streets of Tristain, you shall witness a revelation! Follow the Moon: It shall lead you to us."

At the end of her little speech, Louise managed to catch a glimpse of Sheffield's eyes beneath her hood. They shone a blood red.

*And what was with that last part? It sounded quite sinister. She would have to find out more about that.

"I must now take my leave," Sheffield announced, seeming to have calmed down a bit. "Look to the Moon and you shall find in Its glow the truth you seek. I look forward to seeing you again, Louise de La Vallière."

As she said that, Louise noted that the Moon began glowing brighter. She was leaving then? Louise could not allow that just yet.

"No," she said, motioning with her hand to halt Sheffield. "I believe that some of the truth I seek can be found much closer."

Louise snapped her fingers, and the surface of the sea immediately stopped supporting their weight, plunging them both into the bottomless depths. This was _her_ dream, her _home_. She was not about to allow someone to come and go as they pleased. Well, at least not go as they pleased. As they sank, Louise grew to be more relaxed. In contrast, Sheffield seemed to struggle more and more, although it was all in vain: The pale moonlight did not reach down to these depths. Around them was only water.

"You don't need to breathe," Louise informed the panicking Sheffield helpfully, her voice ringing out clearly through the water.

Seeing that the cloaked woman had stopped her struggling somewhat, she went on.

"I thank you for staying with me a little longer, Lady Sheffield," Louise said, attempting a comforting tone. "Myself, I find these surroundings to be more comforting than up above. Was the change perhaps a bit too sudden? Apologies if I startled you."

Louise almost managed to keep herself from smirking at that last line. Almost. Seeing as Sheffield continued to keep quiet, Louise went on.

"But you see, there are simply answers that I _must_ know. Ones I believe you to be in possession of."

"W-what do you wish to know?" Sheffield spoke hesitantly, seemingly not entirely trusting that she could speak freely while underwater.

"Simple. You mentioned a 'time of reckoning' and that the streets of Tristin would red run with blood. I am most grateful to you for telling me of this, but I would like you to elaborate, please."

"There is no need to say more on the matter, you will no doubt see for yourself in time," Sheffield responded, having regained her former confidence.

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Louise agreed. "Yet I wish to know beforehand exactly what sort of calamity will befall Tristain so that such a situation might arise in the first place."

Sheffield frowned. "I cannot tell you."

"Oh, but you can," Louise disagreed. "You just won't. Why?"

"Because it is not for you to know!" Sheffield snarled. "Or do you wish to hold me captive here? You will regret such a decision." The last sentence was uttered in a threatening hiss.

To illustrate her point, Sheffield took what Louise recognized as a battle stance and looked to be readying something. Louise quickly held up both her hands in apology.

"No, no! I have no such intentions, apologies. Believe me, I did not mean to antagonize you, Lady Sheffield."

As a show of good faith, Louise willed for them to stop sinking and instead begin ascending from the depths. She continued.

"Why don't we just be…" she trailed off, as if looking for the right word.

"…Calm."

"…About this?"

Sheffield seemed to have been on the verge of saying something, but she suddenly went quiet. Louise grinned inwardly. It was easy. Had she been anywhere else, Louise wouldn't trust herself to pull off such a stunt. But she wasn't anywhere else, she was right here, in the heart of the sea. The sea would listen to her, she was certain. It, too, could recognize an intruder. And what an intruder it was. They were so filled with aggression, with suspicion. They would be better off without those feelings, surely. Louise smiled.

"I hope you can forgive this transgression, Lady Sheffield," she said to the woman who had been quiet for a while now.

"Ah…I…no, I mean yes," she said in a confused tone, before she managed to gather her faculties. "I apologize as well, Lady Vallière. I went too far."

"I am glad we can put this incident behind us," Louis said, smiling sincerely. "Now, as for my question…"

As they continued ascending, the pale light of the Moon managed to pierce through the water, providing a sliver of light. Upon seeing it, Sheffield seemed to finally manage to regain her bearings completely.

"Hmm. Yes, well I suppose I can tell you," she sighed. "So that you might better prepare yourself."

Louise noticed that she still didn't seem happy with the idea of letting her know.

"Most grateful," she hurriedly encouraged.

"Tristain's demise is near," Sheffield said ominously. "The Holy Ones approach. They cannot be stopped. They _must_ not be stopped. There is more at stake than you realize."

 _Stop spouting cryptic nonsense and give me a straight answer!_

"Thank you," Louise said, still smiling. She hummed thoughtfully before continuing. "Then, in return, let me tell you something."

"Oh?" Sheffield sounded intrigued.

"Earlier, you called me a Child of the Moon. That is wrong."

Louise looked straight at Sheffield, attempting to see through the hood covering the woman's eyes. She felt a smile creep unto her face.

"I am Louise of the Great Deep Sea, Child of **Kos**."

The mere utterance of the name reverberated powerfully throughout the waters. In an instant, they were plunged into complete darkness as if they had descended to the lowest depths. Even as they kept ascending, the pale light of the Moon was nowhere to be seen.

"You would do well to remember that," Louise went on, her face thoroughly contorted into a manic grin. "I do not wish for us to be enemies, dear colleague. You do not wish for that either."

For an unknown length of time, they continued to ascend through the pure blackness. Louise was enjoying it, truth be told. The waters seemed to whisper to her, telling her of the wonders they could show her. If only she let them drag her down to depths unheard of. She enjoyed these 'stories' but opted to continue the ascent. It was a shame she couldn't see Sheffield in the darkness. The woman hadn't said a word, but Louise was sure she had gotten the message.

Eventually, they resurfaced, seemingly being spat out from the sea. As Louise stood up, she noticed that her surroundings were unusually bright. Looking to the sky, she saw that the Moon was now much closer than she remembered it being. She almost laughed but managed to limit herself to a quiet snigger. Had Sheffield attempted to call it? It hadn't been enough for the light to pierce through even the surface of the sea.

While idly stretching a little, Louise noticed that the cloaked woman was in the midst of getting up, herself. Louise thought she looked a bit shaken. Good.

"I suppose this is goodbye for now," Louise said, not looking at Sheffield but instead gazing upwards at the Moon. Her earlier grin quickly wore off. She was starting to dislike how close it was.

"May we meet as allies next time."

The sentiment was somewhat halfheartedly meant, it was mostly the opposite case that she wanted to avoid unless necessary. Louise didn't know how many people Sheffield currently counted among her allies, but she certainly didn't want to make enemies out of possibly several Void mages. In any case, she would first need to ascertain their aims before making a decision. But the near glee with which Sheffield had foretold a calamity befalling Tristain had made Louise _much_ less favorably disposed towards the woman.

Louise looked to Sheffield who had neglected to respond, in favor of casting some sort of spell, as she slowly began floating upwards. Louise was curious as to the whole process of entering another's dream. Was turning yourself to liquid really necessary? Not that Louise would mind that come to think of it, but it seemed superfluous, considering that Sheffield apparently did not need to do so in order to leave again. Then again, to Louise, Sheffield _did_ seem like the type of person who would make her entrance as unsettling as possible just for the sake of it.

As Louise watched, Sheffield floated further and further away, eventually becoming only a shadow against the backdrop of the still brightly shining Moon. Louise waved to her absentmindedly.

"May the Moon guide your way," she said, mostly just trying to come up with a farewell that Sheffield would appreciate.

It unexpectedly seemed to have worked as she got a response, even if it was a bit half-hearted.

"…And yours too, Child of the Deep Sea."

Louise smiled. So she _had_ gotten the message, then. Even if leaving out the 'Great' part was a bit blasphemous. As Sheffield's silhouette seemed to come closer and closer to the Moon, her shadow suddenly broke to pieces. The pieces scattered, but then expanded, quickly eclipsing the whole Moon. The Moon, now completely black, then begun rapidly shrinking, until it was nothing but a tiny hole, a Void. Eventually, it disappeared entirely, leaving behind the featureless grey sky Louise was used to.

 _Good riddance._

(***)

When Louise awoke, it was midday. Probably. Around that time, anyway. Of the perks of not having to attend classes, Louise counted not needing to get up at a specific time among the best. Ever since returning from the Lagdorian Lake, Louise had gone back to sleeping during the nights. And while the lengths of time she would spent sleeping would vary, leading to a rather erratic schedule, it was an activity she enjoyed immensely.

However, this day, Louise did not feel refreshed or well rested when she woke up. Instead, she woke up already feeling tired. The previous night's exertions had done a number on her mind, and while she had been recovering, Sheffield had barged into her dream, and dealing with the woman had necessitated that Louise used more of her power. As such, Louise awoke already suffering from a headache. Not the best way to start off the day.

Under normal circumstances, Louise would just go back to sleep. It wasn't like she would get much spell practice done anyway if she was exhausted from the get-go. But she couldn't afford that. It was likely that the entirety of Tristain was in danger. She would have to do something about that. And time was of the essence. She would figure out how exactly Sheffield was involved as well as her intentions later. Right now, she needed to warn the Princess. Though after a moment's thought, Louise decided to drop by Osmond's office first.

(***)

When she knocked on Osmond's door, she was fortunately immediately called upon to enter. Inside, she saw the Headmaster glancing up at her from what Louise thought was quite the large pile of paperwork. He really needed to hire another secretary she thought. As their eyes met, he smiled in greeting. Although his smile was full of vigor, Louise noticed dark circles under his eyes.

"Good afternoon, Miss Vallière. You wish to practice your healing spell again, I presume? Just as well, I am in need of a break."

His tone was pleasant as always and he made a move to get up from his chair. However, contrary to the man's expectations, Louise shook her head.

"No sir, not today. I'm here to request a leave of absence."

"A leave of absence you say?" He seemed to lose himself in thought for a while, as he sank back into his chair. Eventually, he continued. "Very well, I suppose I can't exactly hold you here. For how long do you plan to be gone?"

 _For as long as needed._

"I do not know, sir."

Osmond frowned a little at that answer, but then his eyes lit up for some reason.

"Aha! Planning an adventure with your friends, are you? Such is the spirit of youth! I approve. One can learn many useful skills just by travelling. Why, I used to do quite the adventuring myself during my youth…"

He then launched into an account of one of his own youthful adventures. Unfortunately, Louise would have to cut him off.

"Headmaster!" she said a little louder than necessary to get the man's attention. "I am not planning anything as frivolous as an adventure. My reason for requesting a leave of absence is grounded in much more serious matters."

She had decided beforehand that she would tell Osmond of the possible danger. Perhaps he would have some advice to give. Luckily, her serious tone had prompted Osmond to snap out of his reverie and to regard her with a serious look.

"Pray tell, Miss Vallière. What is troubling you?"

Louise took a deep breath. She hoped he would believe her.

"I have reason to believe that Tristain is in imminent danger."

Osmond now turned his full attention towards her, regarding her with a serious look in his eyes, one Louise had only seen him don once before. She returned it in full. This was not a joke.

"What makes you believe so?" Osmond asked.

Louise hesitated for a bit thinking of how she should phrase her answer.

"I … have come across information that speaks of a calamity soon to befall Tristain."

"I see. And how did you come to know this?"

Louise grimaced slightly. She couldn't exactly reveal _how_ she had come across the information.

"I cannot tell you," she answered, well aware that this would weaken her credibility. "Yet I believe my source to have spoken the truth to the best of their ability."

Theoretically, it was still a possibility that Sheffield was just crazy and had been spouting nonsense, but Louise did not want to gamble on that. Although she was almost certain that Sheffield was crazy, she thought it likely that the woman was also telling the truth.

Osmond hummed thoughtfully.

"A trusted source you cannot reveal, you say," he said mostly to himself, summarizing her words. "Then allow me to ask: Have you come to know the specifics of this calamity or is it more of a vague, impending doom?"

Louise was happy that he seemed to believe her, or that he at the very least was willing to entertain the idea. Fortunately she had an answer to his question. An answer she had gone through great lengths to acquire, even going so far as to antagonize Sheffield. Yet it had been worth it. Knowing what danger Tristain was about to face was essential. How could she prevent it otherwise? Well, she didn't exactly _know_ , but at least she* had a piece of the puzzle.

"I was told of a … prophecy, I suppose," Louise answered, keeping her voice even. "I was told that the streets of Tristain would run red with blood. That the 'Holy Ones' approach. That they cannot be stopped. I intend to try, regardless."

Osmond seemed to carefully think her words over for a while before he said something again.

"Tell me Miss Vallière, the reason you cannot say how you came across this prophecy, is it related to the Void?"

Louise mulled the question over for a moment.

"Yes," she answered eventually. Perhaps saying so would improve her credibility in Osmond's eyes.

"I see," Osmond said, nodding. "It saddens me that you choose to keep secrets from us, but I suppose that is your right."

Louise couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Yet she said nothing. It _was_ her right, and she certainly had secrets to keep.

"Very well," Osmond said. "I shall believe you. Now, what do you intend to do? Surely, you do not mean to set off and face this enemy alone."

Louise shook her head.

"Nothing quite as drastic."

 _Yet._

"I intend to go to the capital and warn Princess Henrietta of the danger. Hopefully then, we can decipher the meaning of the prophecy."

"A sensible course of action," Osmond nodded. "Hmm. I myself do not know what the 'Holy Ones' might refer to but I shall give it some thought." He thought a little while before he continued. "If you at some point require my aid or perhaps just need me to back up your claims, then you have but to write to me."

Louise was surprised by that. It meant Osmond was willing to stake his reputation on her, even when he knew she was keeping secrets from him.

"Thank you, Headmaster, sir," Louise said with genuine gratitude.

"Think nothing of it," Osmond answered. "If times are truly as dire as you say, then it is every mage's duty to help, however they may. We are all still nobles of Tristain, after all."

"Yes," Louise replied, smiling. She could only hope that the people of the royal court would see it the same way. "I shall take my leave now, then."

"Farewell for now, Miss Vallière. May Brimir watch over you."

"And you too, Headmaster," Louise said concealing a smile.

She would take the farewell as it was meant, but truthfully she did not need any such well-wishes. She already had something much Greater watching over her, after all.

(***)

As Louise left Osmond's office she was in a better mood. But she was also in a bit of a bind as for what to do next. She wanted to rush to the capital, but the question was whether she should pop by Tabitha's room first and have a talk with her new friend. She could think of good reasons for either option.

First off, she knew that Tabitha at the very least _knew_ of Sheffield, although she did not know if Tabitha was aligned with her. This would mean Louise could go and question Tabitha for some more information regarding the woman. But she would probably also need to come clean regarding being a Void mage to get Tabitha to talk, which was still not something Louise was comfortable with. Even if she was sure that Tabitha already suspected so, if not downright knew it to be true.

But there was also the risk of any information shared leaking back to Sheffield. Louise was certain that the woman wouldn't take too kindly to her planned disaster being foiled, but surely Tabitha would not share that stance?

Yes, Louise would believe in that. The question was then whether or not she _had_ the time to go have a talk with Tabitha. Of course, she didn't know how pressing the matter was, but it was better to be on the safe side. And time spent talking while at the academy was time _not_ spent hurrying towards the capital to warn the Princess. If only she could do both things at once…

Well, actually, there was a way to do both things at once. Louise almost slapped herself on the forehead for not thinking of it immediately. She would just bring Tabitha with her to the capital. She was sure that the bluette wouldn't mind. Tabitha was studious, but Louise believed that her friend would be more interested in learning about Void magic and thus wouldn't mind skipping school for a few days. The question then was how to find her. She couldn't exactly be accused of having a large presence and she was easy to overlook in a crowd. But Louise didn't really think Tabitha to be the type of person to be in crowds in the first place. In fact, Louise could only think of two places where she could be: The library or her room. Louise decided to look for her in the library first.

(***)

Being as familiar with the place as she was, it didn't take Louise long to scour the library and indeed, she found Tabitha sitting alone in one of the more secluded spots.

"Hello, Tabitha," Louise said in greeting.

She got a nod back in response prompting her to go on.

"You know, I met the strangest person the other day..." Louise continued, choosing something vague enough that a potential eavesdropper wouldn't know what she was talking about, but still meaningful enough to get Tabitha's attention.

It seemed to have worked, as Tabitha paused her reading to actually look Louise in the eyes.

"Talk?" she asked.

Louise nodded, assuming that Tabitha meant to ask whether or not Louise would want to talk with her about it.

"My room," she declared.

"Sure." Louise agreed eagerly.

The academy library was notorious for its of privacy. And Louise didn't want to risk anything leaking out.

(***)

Tabitha opened the door to her room and as the two of the entered, Louise was a bit taken back by how big the room was compared to her own. Did transfer students receive better accommodations per default? Unsurprisingly to Louise, books littered most of the room. It reminded her of the mess she had witnessed in Professor Colbert's room, only Tabitha seemed to have organized her mess more, in a way. As she got a proper look at the mess, Louise noted with curiosity that a lot of equipment was lying around. Lots of different cloaks, a couple pieces of some kind of leather armor in various sizes, a variety of different tools as well as various other odds and ends. There were even a small collection of weapons. Louise was pretty sure that students weren't allowed to have swords or firearms in their rooms.

"For adventures," Tabitha explained, having apparently noticed Louise's curious look.

 _Ah._ Well, it would seem that Tabitha really was dedicated to the whole 'adventuring' profession, as much or little of a profession as that actually was. Though Louise couldn't quite imagine the very short Tabitha (even shorter than herself!) charging into battle wielding an axe. Louise shook her head to clear her mind of stray thoughts. Enough of that. Time to cut to the chase.

"Last night, I met a woman calling herself Sheffield. I presume you know whom I speak of?"

Tabitha suddenly stopped, before taking a step closer to Louise, a small frown on her face.

"Yes." Her frown deepened. "Don't like her," she added.

Good. Louise liked the sound of that.

"All right, I'll make it short then. I'll explain later, but I'm currently in a hurry to head to the capital. I would like you to come with me and tell me what you know of Sheffield and her possible plans as well as how you know these things. In return, I will tell you everything you want to know to the best of my ability."

It was a bit early in their friendship to entirely confide in one another like this, but any information Tabitha would be willing to share could turn out to be crucial. Besides, Louise was pretty sure that Tabitha could be trusted.

The girl in question was quiet in contemplation for a while, but she eventually spoke out.

"Deal."

Louise nodded curtly.

"Good. We leave as soon as you are ready. Time is of the essence."

Tabitha responded with a similar nod.

"Ten minutes. Need to pack."

Given that the ride to the capital was nary a few hours long, Louise wasn't really sure what Tabitha would _need_ to pack – she certainly hadn't packed anything. But she would just defer to the bluette's experience and let her prepare for everything.

(***)

After no longer than ten minutes, Tabitha emerged from her room, levitating quite a large pack with her.

"Let's go, then." Louise said.

She got a nod in response and they began their departure. As they made their way through the academy hallways, Tabitha suddenly surprised Louise by turning down a hallway not leading to the main exit.

"Tabitha, where are you going?" Louise asked. "We need to go to the stables to get horses."

But Tabitha shook her head.

"Sylphid. Faster".

Right, Tabitha had a _dragon_. Not only was it faster, their departure would also be a little more discreet since they would leave from one of the less traversed exits. Perfect. Why hadn't she thought of that herself?

Indeed, Louise would seem to have been the only one not to have thought of it, as when they stepped out of the exit and into the small courtyard, someone was waiting for them. Louise suppressed a sigh. _Not again._

"Why hello there, you two! What a coincidence meeting you out here. Going somewhere?" Kirche asked, her signature self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Louise frowned slightly. She didn't have time for this.

"Not today, Kirche. We're in a hurry."

"I'm ready to leave right now," Kirche responded.

Louise rolled her eyes.

"It's important." She tried another avenue of attack. "Tell her, Tabitha."

"Important," agreed Tabitha.

Kirche looked between them for a short while, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I can do 'important'," she proclaimed, her earlier attitude now replaced with a more serious demeanor. "You don't even need to tell me what you two are up too. I'm in. You said you were in a hurry? Then let's go."

Louise was beginning to get irritated now.

"It's a confidential matter," she tried.

She hadn't wanted to let that slip, lest to garner intrigue regarding the whole matter, but hopefully Kirche would be sensible enough to know when to step down.

But of course, Kirche had the sensibility of a rock.

"I can do 'confidential'," Kirche said.

Louise didn't answer verbally, instead choosing to just give Kirche an exasperated stare. Really, now?

"It's true! Tell her, Tabitha," Kirche said, trying to fend off Louise's glare.

"Can keep secrets," confirmed Tabitha.

Louise did still not see the need to respond verbally, instead switching her glare to Tabitha. _Really, now?_

"Trust her," Tabitha answered the unspoken question in her usual nonplussed manner.

Louise wasn't sure whether it was a statement meaning that Tabitha trusted Kirche or an imperative telling Louise to trust Kirche. But it didn't matter, did it? Tabitha had the dragon. If she wanted Kirche along, well, it was basically her call and Louise knew herself to give in eventually. She might as well save the three of them some time. Besides, if she was going to trust Tabitha due to their friendship, then by the same logic, shouldn't she also trust Kirche? Probably.

"Fine," she said out loud. "But only because we're friends. Don't make me regret it."

"Well, I don't know about any of _that_ ," Kirche said in a dismissive tone, the effect of which somewhat marred by the radiant smile on her face. "But let's get going!"

"Indeed, we are in a hurry," Louise nodded. "So no time for packing."

"No need." Surprisingly, the response came from Tabitha, causing Louise to turn and look at her.

She then watched, as Tabitha reached into her massive pack. Louise's surprise turned to irritation as Tabitha withdrew a smaller pack which she expertly tossed to the waiting redhead.

Louise sighed again, her feelings quickly turning into resignation. It would seem that Tabitha really _had_ thought of everything.

(***)

As they flew through the air, Louise regretted her decision. It was not so much the fact that she was about to divulge her greatest secret to multiple people, she had made her peace with that. No, it had to do with the fact that she was travelling with multiple people to begin with. Specifically, that she was travelling with two other girls on the back of a dragon which was in no way meant to accommodate that number of passengers, especially so when including luggage.

Louise had been skeptical since the moment that Tabitha called her familiar to her. Surely, all three of them would not be able to fit on its back? She was proven wrong, but only barely. Rather than sitting in a row like she had expected, they had been forced to lie down beside each other with Tabitha in the middle and Louise and Kirche on either side of her, all squeezed together a little. It was unfortunately necessary so as to not be blown off the dragon's back due to wind pressure. Louise had read about how flying through the air would make one feel free as a bird. She had even fantasized about it herself when she was younger and still thought she would grow up to be a wind mage like her mother.

However currently, Louise did not feel free, she felt more like a captive. Well, perhaps not _quite_ as bad, but she still thought there were squeezed closer together than what proper decorum would allow. Also, at the height and speed they were flying at, the wind was howling constantly making conversation near impossible. But at least it was fast.

Fortunately, Tabitha decided to once more demonstrate that she was well prepared, as she managed to cast some wind spell which formed a protective sphere around them, allowing them to no longer need to cling to each other for dear life, in addition to breathe and talk normally. However, they still refrained from sitting up.

"Thank you," Louise said to Tabitha, while mentally switching tracks.

It was time to get serious once more.

"Then let us begin: What do you know of Sheffield?"

Tabitha likewise took a little time to compose herself, but then unexpectedly answered with a question.

"How did you meet her? What did she say to you?"

"I met her last night, in a dream," Louise answered.

" _Oh, my._ What kind of dream?"

"Shut up, Kirche." Louise cleared her throat once before continuing. "She spoke a lot in regards to the Moon, but it was all very cryptic. I got the feeling that she just likes appearing mysterious," Louise went on, in summation of her nightly encounter.

"Truly, this woman must be your soulmate."

"Shut up, Kirche. Tabitha, does this sound like the same 'Sheffield' you know of?"

Tabitha managed a nod.

"Sheffield the Dreamwalker. Assassin. Can kill people from within their dreams."

Louise raised an eyebrow. That was certainly ominous.

"How do you know this?" she asked. "I would not think there to be a way to link her to any murders she might commit."

Tabitha turned her body to the side in order to look Louise straight in the eyes, an expression of clear distaste on her face.

"Visited me. Once. For 'testing'."

She neglected to elaborate further and Louise didn't ask. For a while, they just flew in silence.

"Wait, Louise how did you get such a dangerous assassin after you in the first place? Is that why we're running?" Kirche asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

"…Sorry," Tabitha chimed in, sounding genuinely regretful. "Did not know it would be her. You cannot run. She will find you."

" _You're_ responsible, Tabby?" Kirche asked, incredulous. "Shit. What do we do now, then? Just have Louise never sleep?"

Louise thought that, amusingly enough, such a strategy might actually work and she was possibly the only one who could pull it off too, but ultimately no such measures were needed.

"Don't worry, you two. There is no need to be concerned about me. I'm not running from Sheffield. In fact, last night, I chased her out of my dream."

Unexpectedly, Tabitha widened her eyes in shock.

"Impossible!" she declared.

Louise was surprised. That might have been the first time she have ever heard Tabitha raise her voice.

"How?" the bluette inquired.

Louise thought carefully about what to say next, how she should phrase it.

"The short answer is that my dreams are more powerful than ordinary dreams. I'll explain later, I promise, but can we just stay on Sheffield for now?

She paused to gauge Tabitha's reaction. A small nod made her continue her own line of questioning.

"How long has she been around? If she is well known, then why has she not been arrested? Who does she answer to?"

Tabitha's expression soured a little more, but she still answered.

"Works for King of Gallia. Has done so for years."

Well, that certainly explained why nobody would have put a stop to her. It made Louise wonder how this King ever got hold of the loyalty of a Void mage to begin with.

"Do you know anything about the King? I don't believe I even know his name."

Truth be told, Louise had never really bothered to keep up with foreign relations, or politics in the first place.

"Joseph," Tabitha answered. "Savior. Once."

Her voice grew so quiet that Louise could barely make out the words.

"Uh, could I ask you to elaborate on that?" Louise asked. "Unless it's something you don't wish to talk about, of course," she hurriedly followed up.

"Don't want to," Tabitha answered succinctly. She then turned around and pointed to Kirche who had been unusually quiet for a while. "You talk."

"What, me?" Kirche asked in a surprised tone. "You sure you don't want to tell her yourself?"

Tabitha shook her head.

"Well, fine. But feel free to jump in if I misremember anything. It's been a while."

Another small nod from Tabitha encouraged Kirche to go on. Louise thought it a bit odd to have someone else talk of your own past, but with Tabitha it was perhaps understandable.

"Well, the first you should know is that our little Tabitha is of the Gallian royal bloodline. Her name is actually Charlotte Hélène d'Orléans."

Kirche had paused, presumably for dramatic effect, but it also served as a respite for Louise giving her a little time to digest the new information. Tabitha was a _princess_? Then what in the world was she doing at the Tristain Magical Academy?

"Not quite what you expected, eh? Well, listen up. The story is just starting."

Kirche then continued.

"As I said, Tabitha is royalty. Specifically she is the daughter of the King's brother. A man who was once first in line to the throne. But obviously that's not how it played out, right? At some point, before the coronation, Joseph killed her father and became king himself. Then he chased Tabitha and her mother out of Gallia and that's how she came here."

"Wait, he killed your father just so he could become king? That's horrible!" Louise exclaimed.

How could a person be so cold as to kill their own family? No wonder Tabitha had a somewhat stunted emotional growth with that kind of trauma weighing her down. Louise was about to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder when Tabitha unexpectedly brushed her off.

"Not horrible. Father deserved it. Joseph saved me."

"Wait, what? That's news to me!" Kirche interjected loudly.

Tabitha turned away from the both of them, but Louise cold still make out the movements of the bluette's face. Tabitha looked like she was chewing on something incredibly bitter as she began to tell of her past.

"Father was always kind. To mother and me. To his brother. To everyone. But one day he changed. Grew insane."

"How? That doesn't just happen," Louise asked, well aware that she was being insensitive.

"Don't know. Just happened one day. He came to mother, to me. Wanted to perform … experiments."

Tabitha looked absolutely pitiful but she nevertheless continued her tale.

"He said something then. About the Moon. About 'Blood needing to return'. He did something to mother. She went insane too. But before he could come for me, Joseph stepped in. Killed him. Saved me."

Silence reigned following Tabitha's recollection. Louise sat silently, trying to digest the whole story while, Kirche seemed to be in a state of shock.

"Why did you never tell me any of this?!" she demanded to know.

"No need," Tabitha answered.

"How does Sheffield factor into all of this?" Louise asked.

Fortunately, Tabitha continued to be in a verbose mood as she began to explain.

"Showed up one day. Don't now from where. But soon after, it began again. In Joseph. Same madness as in father back then. But only slowly growing. Wanted to flee. But also wanted to help. So came here to study magic."

To _help?_ Was that why Tabitha had been studying water magic? It made Louise reconsider what she talked with the girl about just a day earlier.

"Wait, so when you asked if my spell could cure illnesses, you meant if it could cure madness?" Louise asked as Kirche raised her head slightly and began looking between the two of them, utterly confused.

"Yes!" Tabitha answered intensely. "Read every book, every scroll, but no water spell can do it. Only you, Louise. You must cure him. Before it's too late."

"…I'll certainly try," Louise answered, a little hesitantly.

She certainly intended to keep her promise to Tabitha. But even if she _could_ cure madness, which she was uncertain of, she currently did not have the time.

"Is this about your super healing spell, Louise?" Kirche asked. "Can it just cure something like mental illness? Is that even _possible_?"

"Normally, no. If what Tabitha says is true, then no water spell could accomplish such a thing. But … I'm not a water mage."

"What do you mean you're not a water mage?" Kirche objected. "It's always 'water this, sea that' with you. And all your spells are water related!"

Louise sighed deeply. This was going to be a long explanation. But it was one she owed her friends by now.

"My spells might _look_ like water spells but that is only a superficial likeness. They are actually fundamentally different from conventional magic."

Louise noticed Tabitha perk up a little from her otherwise somewhat slumped state, and beginning to listen with interest. She went on.

"You see…"

(***)

"…So, if I get this right, ever since you botched the Summoning Ritual, an incredibly powerful being related to the sea has taken up residence in your dreams and transformed them into an endless ocean?"

Louise simply nodded. Yep.

"And then, this being considers you to be its child and that's why you can do awesome water magic that no one else can?"

Louise nodded again. Basically correct.

"…And _then_ there's another powerful being that has something to do with the moons, and this Sheffield woman can use its powers to traverse dreams, and she visited your dream to foretell of a catastrophe that we're now trying to prevent?"

"That's the gist of it."

"I see, I see," Kirche said, nodding to herself. "You're insane," she declared.

"Shut up, Kirche," Louise shot back. "I am not insane and everything I said is true."

"Oh yeah? Then prove it!" She began gesturing towards the sky. "Look, there's a moon right there! Doesn't seem very powerful to me."

Indeed, as Louise looked, one of the moons was visible in the sky, though only barely visible as it was still early in the afternoon. Louise couldn't even tell which moon it was. But that wasn't the issue.

"That's because you don't have any eyes to see it with," she said.

"What? I have two right here," Kirche said, giving Louise a look of confusion

Louise shook her head. "They aren't really eyes," she explained. "Not in the _true_ sense of the word, anyway."

Kirche had nothing to say to that, favoring instead to continue giving Louise a look which had now transcended confusion and turned into complete befuddlement. Instead, Tabitha spoke up, for the first time in a while.

"Meaning?"

Louise briefly thought about how best to phrase it.

"When you think about it, we don't really _see_ with our eyes, do we? I mean, they just pick up light from the surroundings. It is in our mind where these signals are interpreted into an image. Fundamentally, we see with our brain. Without it, we are blind."

"But what if you don't have eyes. Then you also can't see anything," Kirche said.

"You're wrong. Even if I close my eyes, I can still see you clearly before me," Louise said, closing her eyes for the purpose of demonstration. "How your hair gets tangled by the wind, the contortions of your face, that wart on your nose…"

"That's just in your imagination," Kirche objected. "That's not the same as seeing at all. And I don't have a wart on my nose!"

"You're right, of course," Louise agreed. "The two are not identical. Compared to the image in my mind, the Kirche I see before me is filtered through the lenses of these organs you so naively calls 'eyes'. And there in lays their limitation! To truly understand the world you must see directly with your mind. Insight. Eyes on the inside! It is the purest form of perception. Only then, will you see the world for what it really is."

Louise finished her impromptu lecture by taking out her blindfold and pointing to the 'Eye' engraved upon it, hoping that they would come to the same understanding that she once had come to. Alas, such was not the case.

"Bullshit."

"Shut up, Kirche."

Kirche then proceeded to snatch the blindfold out of her hands.

"So how do you use this?" she asked.

Louise sighed but went on to explain anyway.

"I use it to block out my vision so that I may truly see."

"Really? And here I thought you were just trying to make a fashion statement."

Louise made no response, and so Kirche just did her best to tie the blindfold around her eyes which was quite a task since the three girls were still rather closely intertwined. She managed somehow, but then almost managed to fall off the dragon's back due to disorientation. Louise failed to hold back an amused snort.

"Doesn't work" Kirche declared dismissively. "Here, Tabby, you try it."

She handed the blindfold to Tabitha who seemed distracted, as if deeply lost in thought. Nevertheless, Kirche managed to get the bluette's attention, and with a little hesitation, Tabitha proceeded to try on the blindfold.

A short moment of silence followed as both Louise and Kirche watched Tabitha with interest. Eventually, she took of the blindfold and handed it back to Louise.

"I see nothing," Tabitha said in a disappointed tone.

"See? It doesn't work," Kirche declared. "You've just gone crazy, Louise. In fact, now that I think about it, those random fits of laughter were a dead giveaway. Maybe you should try out that insanity-curing spell on yourself…"

"Shut up, Kirche. If it hadn't been for your stupid comments I would have finished explaining why neither of you can use the 'Eye'."

Louise went on, once more assuming a lecturing tone.

"The 'Eye' does not grant sight by itself. Instead, it is meant to help you focus what sight you already have. It's a bit similar to a wand: You can give one to a commoner but they will never be able to use it to cast spells because they lack the fundamental gift of magic."

"Well, isn't that convenient," Kirche said skeptically. "So how can one attain this 'sight' then?"

"I don't know," Louise answered. "It would seem to have happened to me by accident. I wouldn't know how to replicate the circumstances. Besides, my first encounter with the Arcane; nary but a glimpse of the sea, left me comatose for a week. "

"Oh."

"Yes. This is not a matter to be taken lightly."

That left Kirche quiet for a while, allowing Tabitha to get a word in.

"Sheffield. Same as you?"

Louise nodded. "Yes, she is definitely another Void mage. Only, where I gain power from my connection to the sea, she would seem to have a connection to the Moon. Apparently, it gives her some dominion over dreams."

"Can you do the same?" Tabitha asked.

"Use the power of the Moon?" Louise responded, to clarify the question. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I don't know. It's possible, I suppose, but I certainly haven't tried."

"Then, Earlier. Said you chased her out of your dream. How?"

"I do not know in truth what power Sheffield possesses or what is possible with the aid of the Moon. But I do know that it does not possess a monopoly on powerful dreams. When Sheffield barged into my dream, she was out of her _depth_ , so to say."

Louise couldn't hold herself back and began to chuckle slightly at her own joke. Then she recalled the moment when she had wiped the confident smirk from that woman's face and she began to giggle a little more audibly.

"What did I say? A dead giveaway."

"Shut up, Kirche."

Kirche sighed.

"What do you make of all this, Tabby?"

Tabitha seemed to be lost in thought for a while before answering.

"Believe her," she said eventually.

"What, really?" Kirche asked, sounding surprised.

She looked at Tabitha and got back a serious nod.

"Fine, then. I guess I'll believe in your crazy nonsense too, Louise," she said in a somewhat defeated tone. "But where does this leave us?"

"Currently? On the back of a dragon headed to the capitol of Tristain in order to prevent a calamity soon to befall the entire nation, possibly orchestrated by an insane assassin wielding powers unheard of in six millennia," Louise answered, aptly summarizing their current situation. Hopefully Kirche would understand the gravity of the situation. Of course, it had the exact opposite effect and Kirche began to grin.

"When you put it like that, it sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. I'm in! Tabby?"

"In," confirmed Tabitha.

"So what's the plan then, what should we do?" Kirche asked enthusiastically.

"The plan is simple and it does not contain a _we_ ," Louise said. " _I'm_ going to the capitol to warn the Princess. You two can do what you want when we get to the capitol, but neither of you are going with me to the palace. This is a matter of national security. And you two aren't citizens of Tristain."

"No fair! Why does it matter that we aren't from Tristain. You don't think we are going to leak secrets back to our countries, do you?" Kirche asked.

"Well, no…" Louise admitted.

My family is not important enough to have any influence with the Germanian Emperor and Tabitha is on the run from the Gallian King!"

"I get it, I get it. Haven't I already said that I trust both of you? Otherwise I wouldn't have told you any of this in the first place."

"But in that case, why can't we help you save your country? Surely, you don't intend to do so all by yourself."

"I'm not! I'm going to go warn the Princess and then the government will deal with it while I help in any way possible," Louise explained.

"Believe you?" Tabitha asked.

"Exactly!" Kirche continued, apparently getting the meaning. "If you try to tell them what you told us, they'll run you out of city if not burn you at the stake!"

"The Princess will believe me," Louise answered confidently.

"Even so, are you going to tell her _everything_? And even _if_ she heeds your warning, how many people will believe that a Gallian assassin who can kill people in their dreams is behind whatever is coming? Face it: The two of us are the only ones crazy enough to buy into your nonsense. You are going to need us for this."

Tabitha managed a determined nod.

"Need us. Want to help."

Louise considered their words while her expression continually soured. They were right and she didn't like it.

"Fine, fine. Whatever happens, we will face it together," she said in a tone much less enthusiastic than what would usually be appropriate for such a statement. "But don't complain to me if Sheffield kills you in your sleep!" she warned them.

Tabitha grimaced a little at that, but gave another determined nod. Kirche seemed nonplussed. "You chased her out once, right? Can't you just protect us from her?"

Louise shook her head. "I wouldn't know how."

"Then figure it out!" Kirche said nonchalantly. "Aren't you supposed to be a legendary Void mage?"

Louise had only one response to that.

"Shut up, Kirche."

(***)

As they approached Tristania, they noticed a detachment coming out to greet them. Specifically, a squadron of Griffin Knights flew out to meet them in the airspace above the capitol. Perhaps arriving on the back of a dragon wasn't quite as subtle as Louise had thought earlier.

"Halt!" the leader of the band shouted to them through the air, holding up a hand. "Who goes there?"

Louise shouted back: "My name is Louise de La Vallière! I'm here to meet with Princess Henrietta."

Fortunately, he must have recognized at least her family name as he seemed to relax somewhat. He flew his griffin a little closer to Sylphid so that they could speak to each other without shouting.

"Of course, Lady Vallière. Allow us to escort you and your friends the rest of the way."

"Much obliged, sir," Louise responded.

They flew the remaining way to the palace without incidents, landing at the stables. The captain (whose name Louise hadn't gotten) then wished them well before taking off again. Apparently something had gotten the knights riled up enough to continually patrol the skies. Louise was curious as to what, but refrained from asking. She could always ask the Princess later.

"What now?" Kirche asked as she regained her bearings while Tabitha looked for a place where Sylphid could be taken care off.

"Don't worry, I know the palace well. The Princess will most likely be in either the throne room or her office. Follow me."

Joining up with Tabitha who had managed to convince a stable hand to take care of her dragon, the three made their way through the palace, led by Louise. Fortunately, the academy uniforms they wore easily identified them as nobles and no servants impeded them. On their way, Louise had politely requested that a servant show them to an empty room where they could prepare themselves to meet royalty. Their clothes and hair were a little frazzled following their flight, after all.

After briefly making sure they looked presentable, the three girls made their way to the Princess' office where Louise had guessed they would find her. And indeed, she would seem to have been right, as she recognized the woman standing in front of the closed door to the office.

"Hello Agnès," Louise said pleasantly, waving her hand at the woman who was in the middle of attempting to intimidate even the surrounding air away from the door.

She was of course met with a scowl, but a moderately friendly one, Louise thought.

"Lady Vallière," Agnès responded. "What brings you here?"

"I am here to speak with the Princess. It is an urgent matter," Louise said, letting seriousness seep into her tone.

Agnès shifted her scowl to a more severe one. She responded in a formal tone.

"Her Highness is currently in the midst of an important meeting. I cannot allow you to enter."

"A meeting with whom? And how long do think it will take?" Louise asked.

"I cannot disclose the nature of the meeting nor any of its attendants to you, Lady Vallière," Agnès answered, still keeping her voice formal.

Louise sighed. Talking to Agnès was like talking to a wall. _Very well._

"I see. No way around it, then." She held up both her hands in defeat.

Agnès nodded once. "Thank you for understanding, Lady Valli-".

She didn't get a chance to finish that sentence as Louise chose to suddenly dash past her and reach out for the door handle. Fortunately, the door wasn't locked.

"Princess!"

After opening the door, Louise immediately spotted Henrietta who seemed to do a double take upon noticing the intruder. There was a brief moment of silence as the surprise sat in.

"Louise? What on earth are you doing here?"

Louise noted with glee that the Princess didn't sound angry, only utterly surprised. She was about to formulate some sort of response when she was suddenly seized by strong hands from behind. Fortunately, Henrietta reacted immediately.

"Agnès! Unhand her!"

"But Your Highness," Agnès protested. "She knowingly intruded upon your meeting!"

"That doesn't matter! Louise is my friend and I have told her that she could come visit me at any time. Now, unhand her."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Louise felt the grip around her loosen and turned around to briefly shoot an apologetic smile at Agnès. Whatever goodwill that woman might have had for her was surely gone by now. Well, never mind that. Louise turned around again and did a short curtsy before addressing the Princess again.

"My gratitude for your leniency, Your Highness," she said, her tone formal.

"Think nothing of it, Louise," Henrietta answered, waving her hand in front of her to indicate that it was a minor matter. "But … _why_ are you here?" she asked.

Louise did a quick survey of the room. She had decided that she would either tell Henrietta of the danger straight up or try to schedule a meeting with her as soon as possible, depending on who was attending this meeting. But she recognized the people here, as well as their importance. They would definitely also want to know. Louise took a deep breath and spoke in the most serious tone she could muster.

"I have come to warn you that Tristain is facing imminent danger."

(***)

A pause followed her declaration. No one said anything but she had certainly gotten everybody's attention based on the way they were staring at her. She met each of their looks in turn.

Princess Henrietta. Louise thought her friend looked downright exhausted, but the Princess nevertheless seemed to have devoted her full attention to Louise. Louise could still see confusion in the Princess' eyes, but now there was also a twinge of worry. Or was it fear? Louise tried to give a small, reassuring smile before shifting her eyes to the next person.

Cardinal Mazarin. She recognized the clerical robes signifying his office, but she didn't really know the man. He looked mostly to be annoyed with being interrupted but beneath his look was also a certain curiosity. It was as if he was trying to discern her intentions just by looking at her. Sadly, such efforts were fruitless. Louise turned to meet the eyes of the next person.

General Gramont. Louise had never met this man in person before, but he looked somewhat familiar to her. His looks reminded her of an older Guiche, she realized, but his face bore an expression of severity unlike his foppish son and he had a certain air of quiet confidence about him. He looked at her with a piercing stare, either an attempt at intimidation or perhaps just his usual way of looking at people. But she thought she saw something else in his stare. A hint of … recognition? How odd.

Finally, she met eyes with the last person in the room. In truth, her eyes had been drawn to this person* immediately but she had unconsciously avoided their gaze. No longer. What met Louise's look was a steely glare unrivalled in intensity even by the combined efforts of Agnès and General Gramont. There was only one person capable of a look of such magnitude. The Duchess de La Vallière. Her own mother.

Once the leader of the Manticore Knights, her style of parenting had been identical to the military doctrine she once imposed on her soldiers, The Rule of Steel: To always hide one's emotions behind a wall of steel and to complete one's duty without question. Looks that could kill was, to Louise's knowledge, not a direct commandment of this rule but more of a treasured tradition. One which her mother had long since mastered.

In truth, Louise had always been scared of her mother. Her mother had never raised a hand against her, nor had her mother ever really scolded her, but neither had even been necessary. Just a _look_ had always been enough. Even now, Louise felt her body shake a little, uncontrollably. It was sort of funny Louise thought. Despite trying her very hardest, she had never been able to quell her emotions to the degree her mother had required of her. Indeed, repeated failures had actually made her _worse_ at controlling her emotions until she eventually developed - what she could now look back on and rightly call - a very nasty temper. But that had all changed, now. All thanks to **Kos**. Louise needed not fight against her emotions, but accept them as they were. So too would the Great One, instead of decrying her for having unwanted feelings in the first place. And in doing so, Louise was granted exactly the consolation she needed to make those unwanted feelings go away. Therein lay the humor of the whole situation. She was now able to embody the Rule of Steel should she choose to*. All thanks to a diametrically opposed ideal.

For the first time in all her life, Louise held her mother's gaze. She did, however, not quite manage to match her mother's expression, or rather lack thereof, instead slowly letting her mouth slip into a grin.

 _What do you think of me now?_

Eventually, the silence was broken by Henrietta's voice.

"W-what is this danger you speak of?"

Turning her head towards Henrietta, Louise noted with curiosity the slight crack in the Princess' voice. _Ah_. Louise noticed it only now, but the atmosphere in the room had gotten quite tense. Just how long had the staring contest with her mother lasted? Louise let her expression flare up into an amused smile once more, before she schooled it back into a neutral mask.

"It is exactly as I said. I have come across information foretelling of a catastrophe that soon will strike Tristain. I deemed it of utmost importance to bring this information to you, Your Highness."

Henrietta didn't immediately answer, allowing Mazarin to respond.

"And where, pray tell, did you come across such information?" the Cardinal inquired skeptically.

Louise felt herself breaking into a small smile again. She had thought of how she should answer this exact question and had ultimately decided that sometimes, the best explanation was none at all.

"Trust me," she said.

The Cardinal didn't seem to have expected that.

"Preposterous. You barge in here, interrupt our meeting with some doomsday prophecy, and you expect us to just take your word for it?"

"Exactly." Louise answered.

She then watched, with some amusement, as the Cardinal's expression changed from one of annoyance into something resembling outrage, though it seemed that he quickly caught himself and resumed a calm demeanor once more.

"Duchess de La Vallière," he then said, addressing her mother. "I would advise that you ask your daughter to leave immediately. I believe her presence interferes with our work." His words were formal and polite, but his tone unmistakably held a note of hardness.

Louise had expected something like this. She knew of Cardinal Mazarin but had never really interacted with the man before. Why then, should he believe anything she had to say? Indeed, among the assembled, Louise expected that there were none who would just trust her words so suddenly. Except for one person.

"No." Henrietta's voice rang out once more, this time clearly. "Louise will stay right here. I want to hear all she has to say."

"You believe her then?" asked Mazarin, sounding not surprised but rather somewhat resigned.

"I do," Henrietta answered

Louise was relieved to hear that and managed to trade a quick smile with the princess before her mother spoke up, surprising her.

"I, too, believe that my daughter is not one to lie or joke about such a matter. And I would _advise_ you, Cardinal, not to insinuate such."

Louise saw her mother send a quick, icy glare towards the cardinal who quickly raised both his hands in surrender.

"Of course," he said.

"Well then, let's hear it girlie," said General Gramont, speaking up for the first time. "What's this doomsday prophecy about?"

Louise nodded and did a short curtsy to show them her gratitude for hearing her out.

"Since I made my way here in haste upon learning this information, I have yet to unravel its meaning, and so I shall repeat it to you as it was told to me."

She then cleared her throat once.

"Tristain's demise is near; The Holy Ones approach."

(***)

At her words, a collective sigh seemed to go through the room as they all shared a grimace simultaneously. Except of course for Louise's mother who kept her overall facial expression as impassive as usual but somehow managed to narrow her eyes even further.

"Go tell your oracle, girl," began general Gramont, being the first to speak up. "That doomsday prophecies belong in stories and should not be so grounded in reality."

What? Did that mean they understood its meaning?

"I take it then that you understand its meaning?" she asked.

Truthfully, she had expected that she would need to convince them to take the vague warning seriously before attempting to decipher it together. Apparently that wouldn't be needed.

"Albion," said Henrietta. "It's most likely about Albion."

"Or what will be left of it once Cromwell is done there," Gramont added sourly.

Albion? Last Louise had heard of it, it was getting to be quite ugly, but that was a while ago.

"What exactly has been happening there? I haven't really been keeping up," she admitted.

"It's no wonder, you haven't," continued Gramont. "Cromwell has closed off the damn port. The whole island is in the dark!"

"Watch your language in front of my daughter, General."

Gramont cut himself off and briefly glanced to the side. "Oh, for … Is now really the time to keep up formality, Karin?"

What a silly question, Louise thought. With her mother, it was _always_ time to keep up formality. Indeed, this would seem to be so well understood that her mother did not grace the question with a response and neither did the General seem to require one, as he instead gave an exasperated sigh.

"Regardless," he said. "You know of the Reconquista, yes?"

Louise nodded.

"Bunch of crazies," he went on, with unmistakable distaste. "With Cromwell leading them, it's turned into a da-, a full on revolt!"

"You mean like a peasant uprising?" Louise asked. That was certainly bad news.

"Of the worst kind," confirmed Gramont. "They don't take prisoners. They just execute every noble they come across like a bunch of bloodthirsty beasts."

"But what of Cromwell himself, is he not nobility?"

Gramont scoffed. "Not anymore. The last things he did before closing the ports was to publicly renounce his title, distribute his wealth amongst his followers and declare that he was going to make a new theocracy of Albion; All men equal, below Brimir. Yet somehow, I get the feeling that in the end, Cromwell will end up on top of it all."

What an unpleasant man, Louise thought. To forcibly remove the nobility from their rightful positions of power and then have the gall to speak of following the Founder's way? Preposterous.

"And how far has he made it towards his aims?"

This time, it was the Princess who answered her, as the General remained silent.

"In truth, we don't know," she explained. "Ever since the ports were closed off, getting information of the situation there has proved … difficult."

Her next sentence was spoken with an unmistakable hint of sadness.

"The latest news we have, told us that the remaining vestiges of nobility as well as the royal family of Albion have retreated to the capitol, trying to hold out a siege by the Reconquista. Most likely it will be in vain."

"And that was a week ago," said Gramont. "For all we know, Cromwell could be declaring himself the new Pope as we speak."

"Unfortunately, that is most likely not far off," commented Mazarin. "That man's arrogance knows no bounds. What a travesty of faith."

"Hmph," scoffed Gramont. "Cromwell may be deluded but the man isn't stupid. Rather than focus on whatever bullshit he's peddling – apologies, Karin – we should be on the lookout for what his Reconquista will do once they've finished tearing up Albion."

Louise didn't like where this was going. Not one bit.

"And what do you think will happen?" she asked.

Gramont answered with another scoff. "There's only one thing that can happen. The Reconquista isn't an army; it's barely even a militia. They are just commoners out for the blood of the nobility. Even Cromwell won't be able to control them. Once they've strung up the royal family of Albion, he will have to direct their bloodlust towards a new target, lest they turn on him. And what better target than the smallest country in Halkeginia also inhabited by the most nobles?"

"So then …" Louise tried to finish the man's train of thought.

"Yes," confirmed Henrietta.

"Soon, Tristain will be going to war."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **(***)**

 **Wew. It's been a while since the previous chapter. Apologies for the delay. Hopefully the next chapter will not take as long to come out as this one.**


End file.
